Quality evaluation and control of end cap welds in PHWR fuel elements by ultrasonic examination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, M. S.; Yang, M. S.

1991-02-01

The current quality control procedure of nuclear fuel end cap weld is mainly dependent on the destructive metallographic examination. A nondestructive examination technique, i.e., ultrasonic examination, has been developed to identify and evaluate weld discontinuities. A few interesting results of the weld quality evaluation by applying the developed ultrasonic examination technique to PHWR fuel welds are presented. In addition, the feasibility of the weld quality control by the ultrasonic examination is discussed. This study shows that the ultrasonic examination is effective and reliable method for detecting abnormal weld contours and weld discontinuities such as micro-fissure, crack, upset split and expulsion, and can be used as a quality control tool for the end cap welding process.

Application of QC_DR software for acceptance testing and routine quality control of direct digital radiography systems: initial experiences using the Italian Association of Physicist in Medicine quality control protocol.

PubMed

Nitrosi, Andrea; Bertolini, Marco; Borasi, Giovanni; Botti, Andrea; Barani, Adriana; Rivetti, Stefano; Pierotti, Luisa

2009-12-01

Ideally, medical x-ray imaging systems should be designed to deliver maximum image quality at an acceptable radiation risk to the patient. Quality assurance procedures are employed to ensure that these standards are maintained. A quality control protocol for direct digital radiography (DDR) systems is described and discussed. Software to automatically process and analyze the required images was developed. In this paper, the initial results obtained on equipment of different DDR manufacturers were reported. The protocol was developed to highlight even small discrepancies in standard operating performance.

75 FR 41874 - Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-19

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5376-N-68] Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD. ACTION: Notice... lists the following information: Title of Proposal: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy...

Space shuttle flying qualities and criteria assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, T. T.; Johnston, D. E.; Mcruer, Duane T.

1987-01-01

Work accomplished under a series of study tasks for the Flying Qualities and Flight Control Systems Design Criteria Experiment (OFQ) of the Shuttle Orbiter Experiments Program (OEX) is summarized. The tasks involved review of applicability of existing flying quality and flight control system specification and criteria for the Shuttle; identification of potentially crucial flying quality deficiencies; dynamic modeling of the Shuttle Orbiter pilot/vehicle system in the terminal flight phases; devising a nonintrusive experimental program for extraction and identification of vehicle dynamics, pilot control strategy, and approach and landing performance metrics, and preparation of an OEX approach to produce a data archive and optimize use of the data to develop flying qualities for future space shuttle craft in general. Analytic modeling of the Orbiter's unconventional closed-loop dynamics in landing, modeling pilot control strategies, verification of vehicle dynamics and pilot control strategy from flight data, review of various existent or proposed aircraft flying quality parameters and criteria in comparison with the unique dynamic characteristics and control aspects of the Shuttle in landing; and finally a summary of conclusions and recommendations for developing flying quality criteria and design guides for future Shuttle craft.

Importance of implementing an analytical quality control system in a core laboratory.

PubMed

Marques-Garcia, F; Garcia-Codesal, M F; Caro-Narros, M R; Contreras-SanFeliciano, T

2015-01-01

The aim of the clinical laboratory is to provide useful information for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of disease. The laboratory should ensure the quality of extra-analytical and analytical process, based on set criteria. To do this, it develops and implements a system of internal quality control, designed to detect errors, and compare its data with other laboratories, through external quality control. In this way it has a tool to detect the fulfillment of the objectives set, and in case of errors, allowing corrective actions to be made, and ensure the reliability of the results. This article sets out to describe the design and implementation of an internal quality control protocol, as well as its periodical assessment intervals (6 months) to determine compliance with pre-determined specifications (Stockholm Consensus(1)). A total of 40 biochemical and 15 immunochemical methods were evaluated using three different control materials. Next, a standard operation procedure was planned to develop a system of internal quality control that included calculating the error of the analytical process, setting quality specifications, and verifying compliance. The quality control data were then statistically depicted as means, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation, as well as systematic, random, and total errors. The quality specifications were then fixed and the operational rules to apply in the analytical process were calculated. Finally, our data were compared with those of other laboratories through an external quality assurance program. The development of an analytical quality control system is a highly structured process. This should be designed to detect errors that compromise the stability of the analytical process. The laboratory should review its quality indicators, systematic, random and total error at regular intervals, in order to ensure that they are meeting pre-determined specifications, and if not, apply the appropriate corrective actions. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Developing and implementing a computerized nursing quality control system in a tertiary general medical center in Israel.

PubMed

Kagan, Ilya; Cohen, Rachel; Fish, Miri; Mezare, Henia Perry

2014-01-01

This article describes the development and implementation of the Nursing Quality Indicators Scale and a quality control system for hospital nursing care, which allows universal access to all external and internal audit results, thus ensuring complete data transparency. Standardized indicators make departments' performance comparable. Key to the new system is nurses' self-audit and responsibility for making quality improvements at the ward level.

Advanced Quality Control Theory for Training and Education: A Guide to Optimizing Training and Education Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heppler, Brad

2008-01-01

This is a book about quality and how to control quality through deliberate actions on the part of the professionals developing and implementing the instances of instruction available at an organization. Quality control theory favors no particular learning philosophy and is only directed towards aspects of how, what, where and when measurements are…

Development and Application of the Key Technologies for the Quality Control and Inspection of National Geographical Conditions Survey Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Zhang, L.; Ma, W.; Zhang, P.; Zhao, T.

2018-04-01

The First National Geographical Condition Survey is a predecessor task to dynamically master basic situations of the nature, ecology and human activities on the earth's surface and it is the brand-new mapping geographic information engineering. In order to ensure comprehensive, real and accurate survey results and achieve the quality management target which the qualified rate is 100 % and the yield is more than 80 %, it is necessary to carry out the quality control and result inspection for national geographical conditions survey on a national scale. To ensure that achievement quality meets quality target requirements, this paper develops the key technology method of "five-in-one" quality control that is constituted by "quality control system of national geographical condition survey, quality inspection technology system, quality evaluation system, quality inspection information management system and national linked quality control institutions" by aiming at large scale, wide coverage range, more undertaking units, more management levels, technical updating, more production process and obvious regional differences in the national geographical condition survey and combining with novel achievement manifestation, complicated dependency, more special reference data, and large data size. This project fully considering the domestic and foreign related research results and production practice experience, combined with the technology development and the needs of the production, it stipulates the inspection methods and technical requirements of each stage in the quality inspection of the geographical condition survey results, and extends the traditional inspection and acceptance technology, and solves the key technologies that are badly needed in the first national geographic survey.

Chinese vaccine products go global: vaccine development and quality control.

PubMed

Xu, Miao; Liang, Zhenglun; Xu, Yinghua; Wang, Junzhi

2015-05-01

Through the continuous efforts of several generations, China has become one of the few countries in the world that is capable of independently addressing all the requirements by the Expanded Program on Immunization. Regulatory science is applied to continuously improve the vaccine regulatory system. Passing the prequalification by WHO has allowed Chinese vaccine products to go global. Chinese vaccine products not only secure disease prevention and control domestically but also serve the needs for international public health. This article describes the history of Chinese vaccine development, the current situation of Chinese vaccine industry and its contribution to the prevention and control of infectious diseases. We also share our experience of national quality control and vaccine regulation during the past decades. China's experience in vaccine development and quality control can benefit other countries and regions worldwide, including the developing countries.

Quality Control Technician Curriculum. An Elusive Butterfly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holler, Michael

Defining and developing a quality control technician curriculum for an associate degree program is a difficult and puzzling job. There are as many definitions of quality control and curriculum ideas as there are educators asked. However, one could start by dividing the field into its major areas--heavy manufacturing, maintenance, research, and…

Quality Control Study of the GSL Reinsurance System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advanced Technology, Inc., Reston, VA.

A quality control plan for the U.S. Department of Education's Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) reinsurance process was developed. To identify existing errors, systems documentation and past analyses of the reinsurance system were analyzed, and interviews were conducted. Corrective actions were proposed, and a quality control checklist was developed…

Integrated Application of Quality-by-Design Principles to Drug Product Development: A Case Study of Brivanib Alaninate Film-Coated Tablets.

PubMed

Badawy, Sherif I F; Narang, Ajit S; LaMarche, Keirnan R; Subramanian, Ganeshkumar A; Varia, Sailesh A; Lin, Judy; Stevens, Tim; Shah, Pankaj A

2016-01-01

Modern drug product development is expected to follow quality-by-design (QbD) paradigm. At the same time, although there are several issue-specific examples in the literature that demonstrate the application of QbD principles, a holistic demonstration of the application of QbD principles to drug product development and control strategy, is lacking. This article provides an integrated case study on the systematic application of QbD to product development and demonstrates the implementation of QbD concepts in the different aspects of product and process design for brivanib alaninate film-coated tablets. Using a risk-based approach, the strategy for development entailed identification of product critical quality attributes (CQAs), assessment of risks to the CQAs, and performing experiments to understand and mitigate identified risks. Quality risk assessments and design of experiments were performed to understand the quality of the input raw materials required for a robust formulation and the impact of manufacturing process parameters on CQAs. In addition to the material property and process parameter controls, the proposed control strategy includes use of process analytical technology and conventional analytical tests to control in-process material attributes and ensure quality of the final product. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Contributions of CCLM to advances in quality control.

PubMed

Kazmierczak, Steven C

2013-01-01

Abstract The discipline of laboratory medicine is relatively young when considered in the context of the history of medicine itself. The history of quality control, within the context of laboratory medicine, also enjoys a relatively brief, but rich history. Laboratory quality control continues to evolve along with advances in automation, measurement techniques and information technology. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM) has played a key role in helping disseminate information about the proper use and utility of quality control. Publication of important advances in quality control techniques and dissemination of guidelines concerned with laboratory quality control has undoubtedly helped readers of this journal keep up to date on the most recent developments in this field.

Multicriteria Gain Tuning for Rotorcraft Flight Controls (also entitled The Development of the Conduit Advanced Control System Design and Evaluation Interface with a Case Study Application Fly by Wire Helicopter Design)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biezad, Daniel

1997-01-01

Handling qualities analysis and control law design would seem to be naturally complimenting components of aircraft flight control system design, however these two closely coupled disciplines are often not well integrated in practice. Handling qualities engineers and control system engineers may work in separate groups within an aircraft company. Flight control system engineers and handling quality specialists may come from different backgrounds and schooling and are often not aware of the other group's research. Thus while the handling qualities specifications represent desired aircraft response characteristics, these are rarely incorporated directly in the control system design process. Instead modem control system design techniques are based on servo-loop robustness specifications, and simple representations of the desired control response. Comprehensive handling qualities analysis is often left until the end of the design cycle and performed as a check of the completed design for satisfactory performance. This can lead to costly redesign or less than satisfactory aircraft handling qualities when the flight testing phase is reached. The desire to integrate the fields of handling qualities and flight,control systems led to the development of the CONDUIT system. This tool facilitates control system designs that achieve desired handling quality requirements and servo-loop specifications in a single design process. With CONDUIT, the control system engineer is now able to directly design and control systems to meet the complete handling specifications. CONDUIT allows the designer to retain a preferred control law structure, but then tunes the system parameters to meet the handling quality requirements.

The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC)-II study of common practices for the development and validation of microarray-based predictive models

EPA Science Inventory

The second phase of the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC-II) project evaluated common practices for developing and validating microarray-based models aimed at predicting toxicological and clinical endpoints. Thirty-six teams developed classifiers for 13 endpoints - some easy, som...

Evaluation of pH monitoring as a method of processor control.

PubMed

Stears, J G; Gray, J E; Winkler, N T

1979-01-01

Sensitometry and pH values of the developer solution were compared in controlled over-replenishment, developer depletion, fixer contamination experiments, and on a daily quality control basis. The purpose of these comparisons was to evaluate the potential of pH monitoring as a method of processor control, or a supplement to sensitometry as a method of quality control. Reasonable correlation was found between pH values and film density in two of the three experiments but little or no correlation was found in the third experiment and on a day-to-day basis. The conclusion drawn from these comparisons is that pH monitoring has several limitations which render it unsuitable as a method of daily processor quality control as either a primary or supplementary technique. Sensitometry takes into account all the variables encountered in film processing and is the clear method of choice for processor quality control.

[The technological innovation strategy for quality control of Chinese medicine based on Big Data].

PubMed

Li, Zhen-hao; Qian, Zhong-zhi; Cheng, Yi-yu

2015-09-01

The evolution of the quality control concepts of medical products within the global context and the development of the quality control technology of Chinese medicine are briefly described. Aimed at the bottlenecks in the regulation and quality control of Chinese medicine, using Big Data technology to address the significant challenges in Chinese medicine industry is proposed. For quality standard refinements and internationalization of Chinese medicine, a technological innovation strategy encompassing its methodology, and the R&D direction of the subsequent core technology are also presented.

Distributed sensor architecture for intelligent control that supports quality of control and quality of service.

PubMed

Poza-Lujan, Jose-Luis; Posadas-Yagüe, Juan-Luis; Simó-Ten, José-Enrique; Simarro, Raúl; Benet, Ginés

2015-02-25

This paper is part of a study of intelligent architectures for distributed control and communications systems. The study focuses on optimizing control systems by evaluating the performance of middleware through quality of service (QoS) parameters and the optimization of control using Quality of Control (QoC) parameters. The main aim of this work is to study, design, develop, and evaluate a distributed control architecture based on the Data-Distribution Service for Real-Time Systems (DDS) communication standard as proposed by the Object Management Group (OMG). As a result of the study, an architecture called Frame-Sensor-Adapter to Control (FSACtrl) has been developed. FSACtrl provides a model to implement an intelligent distributed Event-Based Control (EBC) system with support to measure QoS and QoC parameters. The novelty consists of using, simultaneously, the measured QoS and QoC parameters to make decisions about the control action with a new method called Event Based Quality Integral Cycle. To validate the architecture, the first five Braitenberg vehicles have been implemented using the FSACtrl architecture. The experimental outcomes, demonstrate the convenience of using jointly QoS and QoC parameters in distributed control systems.

Distributed Sensor Architecture for Intelligent Control that Supports Quality of Control and Quality of Service

PubMed Central

Poza-Lujan, Jose-Luis; Posadas-Yagüe, Juan-Luis; Simó-Ten, José-Enrique; Simarro, Raúl; Benet, Ginés

2015-01-01

This paper is part of a study of intelligent architectures for distributed control and communications systems. The study focuses on optimizing control systems by evaluating the performance of middleware through quality of service (QoS) parameters and the optimization of control using Quality of Control (QoC) parameters. The main aim of this work is to study, design, develop, and evaluate a distributed control architecture based on the Data-Distribution Service for Real-Time Systems (DDS) communication standard as proposed by the Object Management Group (OMG). As a result of the study, an architecture called Frame-Sensor-Adapter to Control (FSACtrl) has been developed. FSACtrl provides a model to implement an intelligent distributed Event-Based Control (EBC) system with support to measure QoS and QoC parameters. The novelty consists of using, simultaneously, the measured QoS and QoC parameters to make decisions about the control action with a new method called Event Based Quality Integral Cycle. To validate the architecture, the first five Braitenberg vehicles have been implemented using the FSACtrl architecture. The experimental outcomes, demonstrate the convenience of using jointly QoS and QoC parameters in distributed control systems. PMID:25723145

Initial Investigation of Reaction Control System Design on Spacecraft Handling Qualities for Earth Orbit Docking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Randall E.; Jackson, E. Bruce; Goodrich, Kenneth H.; Ragsdale, W. Al; Neuhaus, Jason; Barnes, Jim

2008-01-01

A program of research, development, test, and evaluation is planned for the development of Spacecraft Handling Qualities guidelines. In this first experiment, the effects of Reaction Control System design characteristics and rotational control laws were evaluated during simulated proximity operations and docking. Also, the influence of piloting demands resulting from varying closure rates was assessed. The pilot-in-the-loop simulation results showed that significantly different spacecraft handling qualities result from the design of the Reaction Control System. In particular, cross-coupling between translational and rotational motions significantly affected handling qualities as reflected by Cooper-Harper pilot ratings and pilot workload, as reflected by Task-Load Index ratings. This influence is masked but only slightly by the rotational control system mode. While rotational control augmentation using Rate Command Attitude Hold can reduce the workload (principally, physical workload) created by cross-coupling, the handling qualities are not significantly improved. The attitude and rate deadbands of the RCAH introduced significant mental workload and control compensation to evaluate when deadband firings would occur, assess their impact on docking performance, and apply control inputs to mitigate that impact.

Quality control education in the community college

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, J. Griffen; Wilson, Steve

1966-01-01

This paper describes the Quality Control Program at Daytona Beach Junior College, including course descriptions. The program in quality control required communication between the college and the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC). The college has machinery established for certification of the learning process, and the society has the source of teachers who are competent in the technical field and who are the employers of the educational products. The associate degree for quality control does not have a fixed program, which can serve all needs, any more than all engineering degrees have identical programs. The main ideas which would be common to all quality control programs are the concept of economic control of a repetitive process and the concept of developing individual potentialities into individuals who are needed and productive.

Framework for establishing records control in hospitals as an ISO 9001 requirement.

PubMed

Al-Qatawneh, Lina

2017-02-13

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the process followed to control records in a Jordanian private community hospital as an ISO 9001:2008 standard requirement. Design/methodology/approach Under the hospital quality council's supervision, the quality management and development office staff were responsible for designing, planning and implementing the quality management system (QMS) using the ISO 9001:2008 standard. A policy for records control was established. An action plan for establishing the records control was developed and implemented. On completion, a coding system for records was specified to be used by hospital staff. Finally, an internal audit was performed to verify conformity to the ISO 9001:2008 standard requirements. Findings Successful certification by a neutral body ascertained that the hospital's QMS conformed to the ISO 9001:2008 requirements. A framework was developed that describes the records controlling process, which can be used by staff in any healthcare organization wanting to achieve ISO 9001:2008 accreditation. Originality/value Given the increased interest among healthcare organizations to achieve the ISO 9001 certification, the proposed framework for establishing records control is developed and is expected to be a valuable management tool to improve and sustain healthcare quality.

Defense Manufacturing Management Guide for Program Managers, Third Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-01

Crosby (Quality goals of quality, cost, schedule, mission need, College), Genechi Taguchi (Experimental 5-1 Design), Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa (Cause/Effect...the remaining problems were resolved. 5-7 6. Ishikawa Diagram 7. Control Charts This technique was developed by Dr. In the minds of some quality Kaoru ... Ishikawa , one of the foremost professionals and nonprofesslonals alike, the authorities on quality control in Japan. The control chart is synonymous

Sibling Influences on Gender Development in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHale, Susan M.; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Helms- Erikson, Heather; Crouter, Ann C.

2001-01-01

Examined development of gender role qualities from middle childhood to early adolescence to determine whether children's gender role qualities predicted siblings'. Found that firstborn children's qualities in Year 1 predicted second-born children's qualities in Year 3 when Year 1 parent and child qualities were controlled. Parental influence was…

The Use of Logistics n the Quality Parameters Control System of Material Flow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karpova, Natalia P.; Toymentseva, Irina A.; Shvetsova, Elena V.; Chichkina, Vera D.; Chubarkova, Elena V.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the research problem is conditioned on the need to justify the use of the logistics methodologies in the quality parameters control process of material flows. The goal of the article is to develop theoretical principles and practical recommendations for logistical system control in material flows quality parameters. A leading…

Evaluation of non-destructive technologies for construction quality control of HMA and PCC pavements in Louisiana.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

Current roadway quality control and quality acceptance (QC/QA) procedures for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and : Development (LADOTD) include coring for thickness, density, and air voids in hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements and thickness ...

The development of a contract quality assurance program within the Virginia Department of Highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-01-01

In order to assure the quality of construction products and processes, the Virginia Department of Transportation has established three levels of construction control. First, contractors themselves provide oversight and quality control as set out in t...

A Total Quality-Control Plan with Right-Sized Statistical Quality-Control.

PubMed

Westgard, James O

2017-03-01

A new Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments option for risk-based quality-control (QC) plans became effective in January, 2016. Called an Individualized QC Plan, this option requires the laboratory to perform a risk assessment, develop a QC plan, and implement a QC program to monitor ongoing performance of the QC plan. Difficulties in performing a risk assessment may limit validity of an Individualized QC Plan. A better alternative is to develop a Total QC Plan including a right-sized statistical QC procedure to detect medically important errors. Westgard Sigma Rules provides a simple way to select the right control rules and the right number of control measurements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient-specific dosimetric endpoints based treatment plan quality control in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Song, Ting; Staub, David; Chen, Mingli; Lu, Weiguo; Tian, Zhen; Jia, Xun; Li, Yongbao; Zhou, Linghong; Jiang, Steve B; Gu, Xuejun

2015-11-07

In intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), the optimal plan for each patient is specific due to unique patient anatomy. To achieve such a plan, patient-specific dosimetric goals reflecting each patient's unique anatomy should be defined and adopted in the treatment planning procedure for plan quality control. This study is to develop such a personalized treatment plan quality control tool by predicting patient-specific dosimetric endpoints (DEs). The incorporation of patient specific DEs is realized by a multi-OAR geometry-dosimetry model, capable of predicting optimal DEs based on the individual patient's geometry. The overall quality of a treatment plan is then judged with a numerical treatment plan quality indicator and characterized as optimal or suboptimal. Taking advantage of clinically available prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans, we built and evaluated our proposed plan quality control tool. Using our developed tool, six of twenty evaluated plans were identified as sub-optimal plans. After plan re-optimization, these suboptimal plans achieved better OAR dose sparing without sacrificing the PTV coverage, and the dosimetric endpoints of the re-optimized plans agreed well with the model predicted values, which validate the predictability of the proposed tool. In conclusion, the developed tool is able to accurately predict optimally achievable DEs of multiple OARs, identify suboptimal plans, and guide plan optimization. It is a useful tool for achieving patient-specific treatment plan quality control.

Advanced strategies for quality control of Chinese medicines.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Ma, Shuang-Cheng; Li, Shao-Ping

2018-01-05

Quality control is always the critical issue for Chinese medicines (CMs) with their worldwide increasing use. Different from western medicine, CMs are usually considered that multiple constituents are responsible for the therapeutic effects. Therefore, quality control of CMs is a challenge. In 2011, the strategies for quantification, related to the markers, reference compounds and approaches, in quality control of CMs were reviewed (Li, et al., J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., 2011, 55, 802-809). Since then, some new strategies have been proposed in these fields. Therefore, the review on the strategies for quality control of CMs should be updated to improve the safety and efficacy of CMs. Herein, novel strategies related to quality marker discovery, reference compound development and advanced approaches (focused on glyco-analysis) for quality control, during 2011-2016, were summarized and discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of models to estimate the subgrade and subbase layers' resilient modulus from in situ devices test results for construction control.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-04-01

The objective of this study was to develop resilient modulus prediction models for possible application in the quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) procedures during and after the construction of pavement layers. Field and laboratory testing pro...

Quality Leadership and Quality Control

PubMed Central

Badrick, Tony

2003-01-01

Different quality control rules detect different analytical errors with varying levels of efficiency depending on the type of error present, its prevalence and the number of observations. The efficiency of a rule can be gauged by inspection of a power function graph. Control rules are only part of a process and not an end in itself; just as important are the trouble-shooting systems employed when a failure occurs. 'Average of patient normals' may develop as a usual adjunct to conventional quality control serum based programmes. Acceptable error can be based on various criteria; biological variation is probably the most sensible. Once determined, acceptable error can be used as limits in quality control rule systems. A key aspect of an organisation is leadership, which links the various components of the quality system. Leadership is difficult to characterise but its key aspects include trust, setting an example, developing staff and critically setting the vision for the organisation. Organisations also have internal characteristics such as the degree of formalisation, centralisation, and complexity. Medical organisations can have internal tensions because of the dichotomy between the bureaucratic and the shadow medical structures. PMID:18568046

Evaluation of non-destructive technologies for construction quality control of HMA and PCC pavements in Louisiana : [tech summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

Current roadway quality control and quality acceptance (QC/QA) procedures for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development : (LADOTD) include coring for thickness, density, and air voids in hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements and thickness ...

Intelligent Control Approaches for Aircraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gundy-Burlet, Karen; KrishnaKumar, K.; Soloway, Don; Kaneshige, John; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper presents an overview of various intelligent control technologies currently being developed and studied under the Intelligent Flight Control (IFC) program at the NASA Ames Research Center. The main objective of the intelligent flight control program is to develop the next generation of flight controllers for the purpose of automatically compensating for a broad spectrum of damaged or malfunctioning aircraft components and to reduce control law development cost and time. The approaches being examined include: (a) direct adaptive dynamic inverse controller and (b) an adaptive critic-based dynamic inverse controller. These approaches can utilize, but do not require, fault detection and isolation information. Piloted simulation studies are performed to examine if the intelligent flight control techniques adequately: 1) Match flying qualities of modern fly-by-wire flight controllers under nominal conditions; 2) Improve performance under failure conditions when sufficient control authority is available; and 3) Achieve consistent handling qualities across the flight envelope and for different aircraft configurations. Results obtained so far demonstrate the potential for improving handling qualities and significantly increasing survivability rates under various simulated failure conditions.

Investigating Friendship Quality: An Exploration of Self-Control and Social Control Theories' Friendship Hypotheses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boman, John H., IV; Krohn, Marvin D.; Gibson, Chris L.; Stogner, John M.

2012-01-01

While associations with deviant peers are well understood to impact individual development, less is understood about the relationship between friendship quality and delinquency. Two criminological theories--social control theory and self-control theory--are able to offer an explanation for the latter relationship. Social control and self-control…

[Pharmaceutical product quality control and good manufacturing practices].

PubMed

Hiyama, Yukio

2010-01-01

This report describes the roles of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in pharmaceutical product quality control. There are three keys to pharmaceutical product quality control. They are specifications, thorough product characterization during development, and adherence to GMP as the ICH Q6A guideline on specifications provides the most important principles in its background section. Impacts of the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (rPAL) which became effective in 2005 on product quality control are discussed. Progress of ICH discussion for Pharmaceutical Development (Q8), Quality Risk Management (Q9) and Pharmaceutical Quality System (Q10) are reviewed. In order to reconstruct GMP guidelines and GMP inspection system in the regulatory agencies under the new paradigm by rPAL and the ICH, a series of Health Science studies were conducted. For GMP guidelines, product GMP guideline, technology transfer guideline, laboratory control guideline and change control system guideline were written. For the GMP inspection system, inspection check list, inspection memo and inspection scenario were proposed also by the Health Science study groups. Because pharmaceutical products and their raw materials are manufactured and distributed internationally, collaborations with other national authorities are highly desired. In order to enhance the international collaborations, consistent establishment of GMP inspection quality system throughout Japan will be essential.

The development of effects-based air quality management regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longhurst, J. W. S.; Irwin, J. G.; Chatterton, T. J.; Hayes, E. T.; Leksmono, N. S.; Symons, J. K.

This paper considers the evolution of attempts to control and manage air pollution, principally but not exclusively focussing upon the challenge of managing air pollution in urban environments. The development and implementation of a range of air pollution control measures are considered. Initially the measures implemented primarily addressed point sources, a small number of fuel types and a limited number of pollutants. The adequacy of such a source-control approach is assessed within the context of a changing and challenging air pollution climate. An assessment of air quality management in the United Kingdom over a 50-year timeframe exemplifies the range of issues and challenges in contemporary air quality management. The need for new approaches is explored and the development and implementation of an effects-based, risk management system for air quality regulation is evaluated.

75 FR 59086 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Adoption of Control...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... package printing entitled ``Control Techniques Guidelines for Flexible Package Printing'' (Publication No... adoption of the EPA CTG for flexible packaging printing. EPA develops CTGs as guidance on control... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Adoption of Control Techniques Guidelines for...

A Quality Assurance Initiative for Commercial-Scale Production in High-Throughput Cryopreservation of Blue Catfish Sperm

PubMed Central

Hu, E; Liao, T. W.; Tiersch, T. R.

2013-01-01

Cryopreservation of fish sperm has been studied for decades at a laboratory (research) scale. However, high-throughput cryopreservation of fish sperm has recently been developed to enable industrial-scale production. This study treated blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) sperm high-throughput cryopreservation as a manufacturing production line and initiated quality assurance plan development. The main objectives were to identify: 1) the main production quality characteristics; 2) the process features for quality assurance; 3) the internal quality characteristics and their specification designs; 4) the quality control and process capability evaluation methods, and 5) the directions for further improvements and applications. The essential product quality characteristics were identified as fertility-related characteristics. Specification design which established the tolerance levels according to demand and process constraints was performed based on these quality characteristics. Meanwhile, to ensure integrity throughout the process, internal quality characteristics (characteristics at each quality control point within process) that could affect fertility-related quality characteristics were defined with specifications. Due to the process feature of 100% inspection (quality inspection of every fish), a specific calculation method, use of cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts, was applied to monitor each quality characteristic. An index of overall process evaluation, process capacity, was analyzed based on in-control process and the designed specifications, which further integrates the quality assurance plan. With the established quality assurance plan, the process could operate stably and quality of products would be reliable. PMID:23872356

[Development of new approaches for objective dental tissue characteristiсs reproduction for preparation of highly aesthetical restoration].

PubMed

Makeeva, I M; Moskalev, E E; Kuz'ko, E I

2010-01-01

A new method of color quality control based on spectrophotometry has been developed for dental restoration. A comparative analysis of quality of subjective color control by trained and non-trained observers has been made. Based on comparative analysis of the results of subjective color-control and spectrophotometry the maximum amount of allowed color difference has been set (dE=2.8).

Automated Quality Control of in Situ Soil Moisture from the North American Soil Moisture Database Using NLDAS-2 Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ek, M. B.; Xia, Y.; Ford, T.; Wu, Y.; Quiring, S. M.

2015-12-01

The North American Soil Moisture Database (NASMD) was initiated in 2011 to provide support for developing climate forecasting tools, calibrating land surface models and validating satellite-derived soil moisture algorithms. The NASMD has collected data from over 30 soil moisture observation networks providing millions of in situ soil moisture observations in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico. It is recognized that the quality of measured soil moisture in NASMD is highly variable due to the diversity of climatological conditions, land cover, soil texture, and topographies of the stations and differences in measurement devices (e.g., sensors) and installation. It is also recognized that error, inaccuracy and imprecision in the data set can have significant impacts on practical operations and scientific studies. Therefore, developing an appropriate quality control procedure is essential to ensure the data is of the best quality. In this study, an automated quality control approach is developed using the North American Land Data Assimilation System phase 2 (NLDAS-2) Noah soil porosity, soil temperature, and fraction of liquid and total soil moisture to flag erroneous and/or spurious measurements. Overall results show that this approach is able to flag unreasonable values when the soil is partially frozen. A validation example using NLDAS-2 multiple model soil moisture products at the 20 cm soil layer showed that the quality control procedure had a significant positive impact in Alabama, North Carolina, and West Texas. It had a greater impact in colder regions, particularly during spring and autumn. Over 433 NASMD stations have been quality controlled using the methodology proposed in this study, and the algorithm will be implemented to control data quality from the other ~1,200 NASMD stations in the near future.

[Analysis and countermeasure for quality risk in process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations].

PubMed

Yang, Ming; Yang, Yuan-Zhen; Wang, Ya-Qi; Wu, Zhen-Feng; Wang, Xue-Cheng; Luo, Jing

2017-03-01

Product quality relies on not only testing methods,but also the design and development, production control and product manufacturing all aspects of logistics management. Quality comes from the process control level.Therefore, it is very important to accurately identify the factors that may induce quality risk in the production process and quality control measures correspondingly.This article systematically analyzes the source of the quality risk of all aspects of the production process in traditional Chinese medicine preparation. Discussing ways and methods of quality risk identification of traditional Chinese medicine preparation and providing references for perfecting the whole process quality management of traditional Chinese medicine preparation. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Development of a quality control test procedure for characterizing fracture properties of asphalt mixtures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-06-01

The main objective of this study is to investigate the use of the semi-circular bend (SCB) : test as a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) measure for field construction. : Comparison of fracture properties from the SCB test and fatigue beam te...

Predicting health-related quality of life in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a structural equation approach using the self-control model.

PubMed

Park, Yu-Ri; Park, Eun-Young; Kim, Jung-Hee

2017-11-09

According to the self-control model, self-control works as a protective factor and a psychological resource. Although an understanding of the effect(s) of peripheral neuropathy on quality of life is important to healthcare professionals, previous studies do not facilitate broad comprehension in this regard. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test the multidimensional assumptions of quality of life of patients with cancer, with focus on their self-control. A structural equation model was tested on patients with cancer at the oncology clinic of a university hospital where patients received chemotherapy. A model was tested using structural equation modeling, which allows the researcher to find the empirical evidence by testing a measurement model and a structural model. The model comprised three variables, self-control, health related quality of life, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Among the variables, self-control was the endogenous and mediating variable. The proposed models showed good fit indices. Self-control partially mediated chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and quality of life. It was found that the physical symptoms of peripheral neuropathy influenced health-related quality of life both indirectly and directly. Self-control plays a significant role in the protection and promotion of physical and mental health in various stressful situations, and thus, as a psychological resource, it plays a significant role in quality of life. Our results can be used to develop a quality of life model for patients receiving chemotherapy and as a theoretical foundation for the development of appropriate nursing interventions.

Water Quality Assessment and Management

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Overview of Clean Water Act (CWA) restoration framework including; water quality standards, monitoring/assessment, reporting water quality status, TMDL development, TMDL implementation (point & nonpoint source control)

Effect of poor control of film processors on mammographic image quality.

PubMed

Kimme-Smith, C; Sun, H; Bassett, L W; Gold, R H

1992-11-01

With the increasingly stringent standards of image quality in mammography, film processor quality control is especially important. Current methods are not sufficient for ensuring good processing. The authors used a sensitometer and densitometer system to evaluate the performance of 22 processors at 16 mammographic facilities. Standard sensitometric values of two films were established, and processor performance was assessed for variations from these standards. Developer chemistry of each processor was analyzed and correlated with its sensitometric values. Ten processors were retested, and nine were found to be out of calibration. The developer components of hydroquinone, sulfites, bromide, and alkalinity varied the most, and low concentrations of hydroquinone were associated with lower average gradients at two facilities. Use of the sensitometer and densitometer system helps identify out-of-calibration processors, but further study is needed to correlate sensitometric values with developer component values. The authors believe that present quality control would be improved if sensitometric or other tests could be used to identify developer components that are out of calibration.

An early warning and control system for urban, drinking water quality protection: China's experience.

PubMed

Hou, Dibo; Song, Xiaoxuan; Zhang, Guangxin; Zhang, Hongjian; Loaiciga, Hugo

2013-07-01

An event-driven, urban, drinking water quality early warning and control system (DEWS) is proposed to cope with China's urgent need for protecting its urban drinking water. The DEWS has a web service structure and provides users with water quality monitoring functions, water quality early warning functions, and water quality accident decision-making functions. The DEWS functionality is guided by the principles of control theory and risk assessment as applied to the feedback control of urban water supply systems. The DEWS has been deployed in several large Chinese cities and found to perform well insofar as water quality early warning and emergency decision-making is concerned. This paper describes a DEWS for urban water quality protection that has been developed in China.

Quality control in gastrointestinal surgery.

PubMed

Ramírez-Barba, Ector Jaime; Arenas-Moya, Diego; Vázquez-Guerrero, Arturo

2011-01-01

We analyzed the Mexican legal framework, identifying the vectors that characterize quality and control in gastrointestinal surgery. Quality is contemplated in the health protection rights determined according to the Mexican Constitution, established in the general health law and included as a specific goal in the actual National Development Plan and Health Sector Plan. Quality control implies planning, verification and application of corrective measures. Mexico has implemented several quality strategies such as certification of hospitals and regulatory agreements by the General Salubrity Council, creation of the National Health Quality Committee, generation of Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Certification of Medical Specialties, among others. Quality control in gastrointestinal surgery must begin at the time of medical education and continue during professional activities of surgeons, encouraging multidisciplinary teamwork, knowledge, abilities, attitudes, values and skills that promote homogeneous, safe and quality health services for the Mexican population.

[Establishment and application of "multi-dimensional structure and process dynamic quality control technology system" in preparation products of traditional Chinese medicine (I)].

PubMed

Gu, Jun-Fei; Feng, Liang; Zhang, Ming-Hua; Wu, Chan; Jia, Xiao-Bin

2013-11-01

Safety is an important component of the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation products, as well as an important guarantee for clinical application. Currently, the quality control of TCMs in Chinese Pharmacopoeia mostly focuses on indicative compounds for TCM efficacy. TCM preparations are associated with multiple links, from raw materials to products, and each procedure may have impacts on the safety of preparation. We make a summary and analysis on the factors impacting safety during the preparation of TCM products, and then expound the important role of the "multi-dimensional structure and process dynamic quality control technology system" in the quality safety of TCM preparations. Because the product quality of TCM preparation is closely related to the safety, the control over safety-related material basis is an important component of the product quality control of TCM preparations. The implementation of the quality control over the dynamic process of TCM preparations from raw materials to products, and the improvement of the TCM quality safety control at the microcosmic level help lay a firm foundation for the development of the modernization process of TCM preparations.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malkoske, Kyle; Nielsen, Michelle; Brown, Erika

The Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicist’s (COMP) Quality Assurance and Radiation Safety Advisory Committee (QARSAC) have worked together in the development of a suite of Technical Quality Control (TQC) Guidelines for radiation treatment equipment and technologies, that outline specific performance objectives and criteria that equipment should meet in order to assure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. Early community engagement and uptake survey data showed 70% of Canadian centers are part of this process and that the data in the guideline documents reflect, and are influencing the way Canadian radiation treatmentmore » centres run their technical quality control programs. As the TQC development framework matured as a cross-country initiative, guidance documents have been developed in many clinical technologies. Recently, there have been new TQC documents initiated for Gamma Knife and Cyberknife technologies where the entire communities within Canada are involved in the review process. At the same time, QARSAC reviewed the suite as a whole for the first time and it was found that some tests and tolerances overlapped across multiple documents as single tests could pertain to multiple quality control areas. The work to streamline the entire suite has allowed for improved usability of the suite while keeping the integrity of single quality control areas. The suite will be published by the JACMP, in the coming year.« less

Quality transitivity and traceability system of herbal medicine products based on quality markers.

PubMed

Liu, Changxiao; Guo, De-An; Liu, Liang

2018-05-15

Due to a variety of factors to affect the herb quality, the existing quality management model is unable to evaluate the process control. The development of the concept of "quality marker" (Q-marker) lays basis for establishing an independent process quality control system for herbal products. To ensure the highest degree of safety, effectiveness and quality process control of herbal products, it is aimed to establish a quality transitivity and traceability system of quality and process control from raw materials to finished herbal products. Based on the key issues and challenges of quality assessment, the current status of quality and process controls from raw materials to herbal medicinal products listed in Pharmacopoeia were analyzed and the research models including discovery and identification of Q-markers, analysis and quality management of risk evaluation were designed. Authors introduced a few new technologies and methodologies, such as DNA barcoding, chromatographic technologies, fingerprint analysis, chemical markers, bio-responses, risk management and solution for quality process control. The quality and process control models for herbal medicinal products were proposed and the transitivity and traceability system from raw materials to the finished products was constructed to improve the herbal quality from the entire supply and production chain. The transitivity and traceability system has been established based on quality markers, especially on how to control the production process under Good Engineering Practices, as well as to implement the risk management for quality and process control in herbal medicine production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulation of intelligent compaction technology for construction quality control.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

Intelligent compaction (IC) technique is a fast-developing technology for compaction quality control and acceptance. Proof rolling using the intelligent compaction rollers after completing compaction can eectively identify : the weak spots and sig...

Image processing system performance prediction and product quality evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stein, E. K.; Hammill, H. B. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A new technique for image processing system performance prediction and product quality evaluation was developed. It was entirely objective, quantitative, and general, and should prove useful in system design and quality control. The technique and its application to determination of quality control procedures for the Earth Resources Technology Satellite NASA Data Processing Facility are described.

[Development of whole process quality control and management system of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces based on traditional Chinese medicine quality tree].

PubMed

Yu, Wen-Kang; Dong, Ling; Pei, Wen-Xuan; Sun, Zhi-Rong; Dai, Jun-Dong; Wang, Yun

2017-12-01

The whole process quality control and management of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction pieces is a system engineering, involving the base environment, seeds and seedlings, harvesting, processing and other multiple steps, so the accurate identification of factors in TCM production process that may induce the quality risk, as well as reasonable quality control measures are very important. At present, the concept of quality risk is mainly concentrated in the aspects of management and regulations, etc. There is no comprehensive analysis on possible risks in the quality control process of TCM decoction pieces, or analysis summary of effective quality control schemes. A whole process quality control and management system for TCM decoction pieces based on TCM quality tree was proposed in this study. This system effectively combined the process analysis method of TCM quality tree with the quality risk management, and can help managers to make real-time decisions while realizing the whole process quality control of TCM. By providing personalized web interface, this system can realize user-oriented information feedback, and was convenient for users to predict, evaluate and control the quality of TCM. In the application process, the whole process quality control and management system of the TCM decoction pieces can identify the related quality factors such as base environment, cultivation and pieces processing, extend and modify the existing scientific workflow according to their own production conditions, and provide different enterprises with their own quality systems, to achieve the personalized service. As a new quality management model, this paper can provide reference for improving the quality of Chinese medicine production and quality standardization. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Progressing quality control in environmental impact assessment beyond legislative compliance: An evaluation of the IEMA EIA Quality Mark certification scheme

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bond, Alan, E-mail: alan.bond@uea.ac.uk; Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University; Fischer, Thomas B, E-mail: fischer@liverpool.ac.uk

The effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) systems is contingent on a number of control mechanisms: procedural; judicial; evaluative; public and government agency; professional; and development aid agency. If we assume that procedural and judicial controls are guaranteed in developed EIA systems, then progressing effectiveness towards an acceptable level depends on improving the performance of other control mechanisms over time. These other control mechanisms are either absent, or are typically centrally controlled, requiring public finances; this we argue is an unpopular model in times of greater Government austerity. Here we evaluate a market-based mechanism for improving the performance of evaluativemore » and professional control mechanisms, the UK Institute of Environmental Management and Assessments' EIA Quality Mark. We do this by defining dimensions of effectiveness for the purposes of our evaluation, and by identifying international examples of the approaches taken to delivering the other control measures to validate the approach taken in the EIA Quality Mark. We then evaluate the EIA Quality Mark, when used in combination with legal procedures and an active judiciary, against the effectiveness dimensions and use time-series analysis of registrant data to examine its ability to progress practice. We conclude that the EIA Quality Mark has merit as a model for a market-based mechanism, and may prove a more financially palatable approach for delivering effective EIA in mature systems in countries that lack centralised agency oversight. It may, therefore, be of particular interest to some Member States of the European Union for ensuring forthcoming certification requirements stemming from recent amendments to the EIA Directive. - Highlights: • Quality control mechanisms in EIA are identified. • Effectiveness of EIA is conceptualised for evaluation purposes. • The UK IEMA EIA Quality Mark is introduced as a market-based mechanism. • The EIA Quality Mark is found to progress quality in many, but not all, areas.« less

QUALITY CONTROL OF PHARMACEUTICALS.

PubMed

LEVI, L; WALKER, G C; PUGSLEY, L I

1964-10-10

Quality control is an essential operation of the pharmaceutical industry. Drugs must be marketed as safe and therapeutically active formulations whose performance is consistent and predictable. New and better medicinal agents are being produced at an accelerated rate. At the same time more exacting and sophisticated analytical methods are being developed for their evaluation. Requirements governing the quality control of pharmaceuticals in accordance with the Canadian Food and Drugs Act are cited and discussed.

Adolescent development and eating disorder related quality of life in Indian females.

PubMed

Lal, M; Abraham, S

2011-03-01

To study the relationship of adolescent development and eating disorder related quality of life in Indian females. 461 female school students (aged 12-17 yrs) were recruited from middle to high socio-economic status (SES), English speaking schools in Delhi, India. Adolescent development was measured by Tanner stage and months since menarche. Subjects completed the Quality of Life for Eating Disorders questionnaire (QOL ED), which included six subscores. Correlation and partial correlation coefficient analysis to control for Body Mass Index (BMI) were performed. After controlling for BMI, all adolescent development measures were correlated with the psychological feelings (PSY) subscore. This subscore contained items relating to confusion, social unease, sadness, difficulty coping, desiring perfection and loss of control. Tanner breast stage was correlated with the eating behaviour (EB) subscore. During adolescent development, Indian girls became more aware of their psychological feelings and emotions. Only those reporting breast development were using behaviours to control their body, weight and shape. These behaviours are not associated with the presence of disordered eating thoughts, such as preoccupation with food, eating, body weight or shape.

[Research advances in secondary development of Chinese patent medicines based on quality by design concept].

PubMed

Gong, Xing-Chu; Chen, Teng; Qu, Hai-Bin

2017-03-01

Quality by design (QbD) concept is an advanced pharmaceutical quality control concept. The application of QbD concept in the research and development of pharmaceutical processes of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) mainly contains five parts, including the definition of critical processes and their evaluation criteria, the determination of critical process parameters and critical material attributes, the establishment of quantitative models, the development of design space, as well as the application and continuous improvement of control strategy. In this work, recent research advances in QbD concept implementation methods in the secondary development of Chinese patent medicines were reviewed, and five promising fields of the implementation of QbD concept were pointed out, including the research and development of TCM new drugs and Chinese medicine granules for formulation, modeling of pharmaceutical processes, development of control strategy based on industrial big data, strengthening the research of process amplification rules, and the development of new pharmaceutical equipment.. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Quality Assurance in the German School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huber, Stephan Gerhard; Gordel, Bettina

2006-01-01

Whereas internationally the shift towards quality control of school systems started in the early 1980s, mainly promoted by transnational agencies, this development only began in Germany in the mid 1990s. However, a clear-cut change from an input-controlled and centralised to a more output-controlled, decentralised and deregulated supervision…

A design procedure for the handling qualities optimization of the X-29A aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosworth, John T.; Cox, Timothy H.

1989-01-01

A design technique for handling qualities improvement was developed for the X-29A aircraft. As with any new aircraft, the X-29A control law designers were presented with a relatively high degree of uncertainty in their mathematical models. The presence of uncertainties, and the high level of static instability of the X-29A caused the control law designers to stress stability and robustness over handling qualities. During flight test, the mathematical models of the vehicle were validated or corrected to match the vehicle dynamic behavior. The updated models were then used to fine tune the control system to provide fighter-like handling characteristics. A design methodology was developed which works within the existing control system architecture to provide improved handling qualities and acceptable stability with a minimum of cost in both implementation as well as software verification and validation.

Perceptions and misconceptions regarding the Joint Commission's view of quality monitoring.

PubMed

Patterson, C H

1989-10-01

The Joint Commission recently has revised its hospital standards for infection control to reflect more accurately current state-of-the-art practices. In addition, the Joint Commission's Agenda for Change initiatives include the development of clinical indicators; one of the topics that will be included in those clinical indicator sets will be infection control. How the hospital chooses to organize itself to conduct the historically required monitoring and evaluation of clinical patient care currently required by the standards of the Joint Commission is at the option of the hospital. How the hospital will organize and collect data specific to infection control indicators yet to be developed by the Joint Commission has not been determined and will not be defined until specific research and development projects are completed. The hospital is expected to have in place infection prevention, surveillance, and control programs; it also is expected to have in place a quality assurance program that focuses not only on solving identified problems but also on the improvement of patient care quality. How the hospitals organize and/or integrate these activities is also at its option. It is expected that qualified professionals will direct and enforce infection prevention, surveillance, and control practices; indicators for infection control can provide data that will help assess the relative success of those practices and activities. The Joint Commission is not developing the capability to judge, on its own part, the actual quality of care provided by an organization seeking accreditation. Rather, the Joint Commission is committed to developing more accurate means to evaluate the structures, processes, and outcomes of diagnosis and treatment activities, as well as their interrelationships. Clinical excellence is supported by quality in the organizational environment and the managerial and leadership contexts within which patient care is delivered. Both clinical and organizational excellence are essential components of quality, and the Joint Commission is convinced that it is appropriate and timely to undertake more direct assessments of both.

[A strategy of constructing the technological system for quality control of Chinese medicine based on process control and management].

PubMed

Cheng, Yi-Yu; Qian, Zhong-Zhi; Zhang, Bo-Li

2017-01-01

The current situation, bottleneck problems and severe challenges in quality control technology of Chinese Medicine (CM) are briefly described. It is presented to change the phenomenon related to the post-test as the main means and contempt for process control in drug regulation, reverse the situation of neglecting the development of process control and management technology for pharmaceutical manufacture and reconstruct the technological system for quality control of CM products. The regulation and technology system based on process control and management for controlling CM quality should be established to solve weighty realistic problems of CM industry from the root causes, including backwardness of quality control technology, weakness of quality risk control measures, poor reputation of product quality and so on. By this way, the obstacles from poor controllability of CM product quality could be broken. Concentrating on those difficult problems and weak links in the technical field of CM quality control, it is proposed to build CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) regulation for CM products with Chinese characteristics and promote the regulation international recognition as soon as possible. The CMC technical framework, which is clinical efficacy-oriented, manufacturing manner-centered and process control-focused, was designed. To address the clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the production feature of CM manufacture, it is suggested to establish quality control engineering for CM manufacturing by integrating pharmaceutical analysis, TCM chemistry, TCM pharmacology, pharmaceutical engineering, control engineering, management engineering and other disciplines. Further, a theoretical model of quality control engineering for CM manufacturing and the methodology of digital pharmaceutical engineering are proposed. A technology pathway for promoting CM standard and realizing the strategic goal of CM internationalization is elaborated. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

A real time quality control application for animal production by image processing.

PubMed

Sungur, Cemil; Özkan, Halil

2015-11-01

Standards of hygiene and health are of major importance in food production, and quality control has become obligatory in this field. Thanks to rapidly developing technologies, it is now possible for automatic and safe quality control of food production. For this purpose, image-processing-based quality control systems used in industrial applications are being employed to analyze the quality of food products. In this study, quality control of chicken (Gallus domesticus) eggs was achieved using a real time image-processing technique. In order to execute the quality control processes, a conveying mechanism was used. Eggs passing on a conveyor belt were continuously photographed in real time by cameras located above the belt. The images obtained were processed by various methods and techniques. Using digital instrumentation, the volume of the eggs was measured, broken/cracked eggs were separated and dirty eggs were determined. In accordance with international standards for classifying the quality of eggs, the class of separated eggs was determined through a fuzzy implication model. According to tests carried out on thousands of eggs, a quality control process with an accuracy of 98% was possible. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Flight Control Development for the ARH-70 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, Kevin T.; Campbell, Kip G.; Griffith, Carl D.; Ivler, Christina M.; Tischler, Mark B.; Harding, Jeffrey W.

2008-01-01

In July 2005, Bell Helicopter won the U.S. Army's Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter competition to produce a replacement for the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior capable of performing the armed reconnaissance mission. To meet the U.S. Army requirement that the ARH-70A have Level 1 handling qualities for the scout rotorcraft mission task elements defined by ADS-33E-PRF, Bell equipped the aircraft with their generic automatic flight control system (AFCS). Under the constraints of the tight ARH-70A schedule, the development team used modem parameter identification and control law optimization techniques to optimize the AFCS gains to simultaneously meet multiple handling qualities design criteria. This paper will show how linear modeling, control law optimization, and simulation have been used to produce a Level 1 scout rotorcraft for the U.S. Army, while minimizing the amount of flight testing required for AFCS development and handling qualities evaluation of the ARH-70A.

Human Connectome Project Informatics: quality control, database services, and data visualization

PubMed Central

Marcus, Daniel S.; Harms, Michael P.; Snyder, Abraham Z.; Jenkinson, Mark; Wilson, J Anthony; Glasser, Matthew F.; Barch, Deanna M.; Archie, Kevin A.; Burgess, Gregory C.; Ramaratnam, Mohana; Hodge, Michael; Horton, William; Herrick, Rick; Olsen, Timothy; McKay, Michael; House, Matthew; Hileman, Michael; Reid, Erin; Harwell, John; Coalson, Timothy; Schindler, Jon; Elam, Jennifer S.; Curtiss, Sandra W.; Van Essen, David C.

2013-01-01

The Human Connectome Project (HCP) has developed protocols, standard operating and quality control procedures, and a suite of informatics tools to enable high throughput data collection, data sharing, automated data processing and analysis, and data mining and visualization. Quality control procedures include methods to maintain data collection consistency over time, to measure head motion, and to establish quantitative modality-specific overall quality assessments. Database services developed as customizations of the XNAT imaging informatics platform support both internal daily operations and open access data sharing. The Connectome Workbench visualization environment enables user interaction with HCP data and is increasingly integrated with the HCP's database services. Here we describe the current state of these procedures and tools and their application in the ongoing HCP study. PMID:23707591

Generation of Quality Pulses for Control of Qubit/Quantum Memory Spin States: Experimental and Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

TECHNICAL REPORT 3046 September 2016 GENERATION OF QUALITY PULSES FOR CONTROL OF QUBIT/QUANTUM MEMORY SPIN STATES: EXPERIMENTAL AND SIMULATION...nuclear spin states of qubits/quantum memory applicable to semiconductor, superconductor, ionic, and superconductor-ionic hybrid technologies. As the...pulse quality and need for development of single pulses with very high quality will impact directly the coherence time of the qubit/ memory , we present

Quality Control Analysis of Selected Aspects of Programs Administered by the Bureau of Student Financial Assistance. Error-Prone Model Derived from 1978-1979 Quality Control Study. Data Report. [Task 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saavedra, Pedro; Kuchak, JoAnn

An error-prone model (EPM) to predict financial aid applicants who are likely to misreport on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) applications was developed, based on interviews conducted with a quality control sample of 1,791 students during 1978-1979. The model was designed to identify corrective methods appropriate for different types of…

Quality Control of Pharmaceuticals

PubMed Central

Levi, Leo; Walker, George C.; Pugsley, L. I.

1964-01-01

Quality control is an essential operation of the pharmaceutical industry. Drugs must be marketed as safe and therapeutically active formulations whose performance is consistent and predictable. New and better medicinal agents are being produced at an accelerated rate. At the same time more exacting and sophisticated analytical methods are being developed for their evaluation. Requirements governing the quality control of pharmaceuticals in accordance with the Canadian Food and Drugs Act are cited and discussed. PMID:14199105

Relationship between antigravity control and postural control in young children.

PubMed

Sellers, J S

1988-04-01

The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the relationship between antigravity control (supine flexion and prone extension) and postural control (static and dynamic balance), 2) to determine the quality of antigravity and postural control, and 3) to determine whether sex and ethnic group differences correlate with differences in antigravity control and postural control in young children. I tested 107 black, Hispanic, and Caucasian children in a Head Start program, with a mean age of 61 months. The study results showed significant relationships between antigravity control and postural control. Subjects' supine flexion performance was significantly related to the quantity and quality of their static and dynamic balance performance, whereas prone extension performance was related only to the quality of dynamic balance performance. Quality scale measurements (r = .90) indicated that the children in this study had not yet developed full antigravity or postural control. The study results revealed differences between sexes in the quality of static balance and prone extension performance and ethnic differences in static balance, dynamic balance, and prone extension performance.

Bel Marin Keys Unit V Expansion of the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project. Volume 3. Responses to Comments, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-01

include a program for implementing new development and construction site storm water quality controls. The objective of this component is to ensure...impacts (see Storm Water Quality Control, below). The Regional Board has adopted U.S. EPA’s Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) "Guidelines for...other Waters of the State. Storm Water Quality Control Storm water is the major source of fresh water to creeks and waterways. Storm water quality is

[Features of the maintenance of automated developing machines].

PubMed

Koveshnikov, A I

1999-01-01

Based on his long-term own experience the author gives recommendations on the assembly, adjustment, operation, and preventive maintenance of automatic developing machines. Procedures are presented for evaluating the quality of X-ray films and controlling the activity of operating qualities of a developer while machining photographic materials. Troubles and malfunction of equipment and procedures for their elimination are shown to affect the quality of development of films.

Towards Evidence-Based, Quality-Controlled Health Promotion: The Dutch Recognition System for Health Promotion Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brug, Johannes; van Dale, Djoeke; Lanting, Loes; Kremers, Stef; Veenhof, Cindy; Leurs, Mariken; van Yperen, Tom; Kok, Gerjo

2010-01-01

Registration or recognition systems for best-practice health promotion interventions may contribute to better quality assurance and control in health promotion practice. In the Netherlands, such a system has been developed and is being implemented aiming to provide policy makers and professionals with more information on the quality and…

Embankment quality and assessment of moisture control implementation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

A specification for contractor moisture quality control (QC) in roadway embankment construction has been in use for approximately 10 : years in Iowa on about 190 projects. The use of this QC specification and the development of the soils certificatio...

Implementing self sustained quality control procedures in a clinical laboratory.

PubMed

Khatri, Roshan; K C, Sanjay; Shrestha, Prabodh; Sinha, J N

2013-01-01

Quality control is an essential component in every clinical laboratory which maintains the excellence of laboratory standards, supplementing to proper disease diagnosis, patient care and resulting in overall strengthening of health care system. Numerous quality control schemes are available, with combinations of procedures, most of which are tedious, time consuming and can be "too technical" whereas commercially available quality control materials can be expensive especially for laboratories in developing nations like Nepal. Here, we present a procedure performed at our centre with self prepared control serum and use of simple statistical tools for quality assurance. The pooled serum was prepared as per guidelines for preparation of stabilized liquid quality control serum from human sera. Internal Quality Assessment was performed on this sample, on a daily basis which included measurement of 12 routine biochemical parameters. The results were plotted on Levey-Jennings charts and analysed with quality control rules, for a period of one month. The mean levels of biochemical analytes in self prepared control serum were within normal physiological range. This serum was evaluated every day along with patients' samples. The results obtained were plotted on control charts and analysed using common quality control rules to identify possible systematic and random errors. Immediate mitigation measures were taken and the dispatch of erroneous reports was avoided. In this study we try to highlight on a simple internal quality control procedure which can be performed by laboratories, with minimum technology, expenditure, and expertise and improve reliability and validity of the test reports.

Quality assessment concept of the World Data Center for Climate and its application to CMIP5 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockhause, M.; Höck, H.; Toussaint, F.; Lautenschlager, M.

2012-08-01

The preservation of data in a high state of quality which is suitable for interdisciplinary use is one of the most pressing and challenging current issues in long-term archiving. For high volume data such as climate model data, the data and data replica are no longer stored centrally but distributed over several local data repositories, e.g. the data of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). The most important part of the data is to be archived, assigned a DOI, and published according to the World Data Center for Climate's (WDCC) application of the DataCite regulations. The integrated part of WDCC's data publication process, the data quality assessment, was adapted to the requirements of a federated data infrastructure. A concept of a distributed and federated quality assessment procedure was developed, in which the workload and responsibility for quality control is shared between the three primary CMIP5 data centers: Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI), British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC), and WDCC. This distributed quality control concept, its pilot implementation for CMIP5, and first experiences are presented. The distributed quality control approach is capable of identifying data inconsistencies and to make quality results immediately available for data creators, data users and data infrastructure managers. Continuous publication of new data versions and slow data replication prevents the quality control from check completion. This together with ongoing developments of the data and metadata infrastructure requires adaptations in code and concept of the distributed quality control approach.

Managing quality of teaching and learning in the ophthalmic nursing course.

PubMed

Law, M L

2000-02-01

With auditing of teaching and learning in earnest by the Quality Assurance Agency for the Higher Education Funding Council, the nature of quality in education is top on the agenda for educational stakeholders. However, the nature of quality is difficult to define and measure. This is because quality is essentially a subjective perception and can mean different things to different individuals. Therefore, attempt to quantify and measure quality is difficult and problematic but is necessary for personal, professional, bureaucratic, political and stakeholder demands for accountability, and demonstration of efficiency, effectiveness and value for money. Using a total quality management framework, the internal controls of quality in the ophthalmic nursing course and at the faculty level are considered. The wider contexts of quality control from the institutional, political and at the customer's levels are explored. This paper concludes that the various methods used to control and measure quality may provide useful information for service clarity and a basis for service development. However, such information needs to be treated with caution and interpreted in the context and environment in which this information is generated. Ultimately, the issues of quality in teaching and learning may be addressed by the teacher's commitment to be developed as a reflective practitioner.

[Highly quality-controlled radiation therapy].

PubMed

Shirato, Hiroki

2005-04-01

Advanced radiation therapy for intracranial disease has focused on set-up accuracy for the past 15 years. However, quality control in the prescribed dose is actually as important as the tumor set-up in radiation therapy. Because of the complexity of the three-dimensional radiation treatment planning system in recent years, the highly quality-controlled prescription of the dose has now been reappraised as the mainstream to improve the treatment outcome of radiation therapy for intracranial disease. The Japanese Committee for Quality Control of Radiation Therapy has developed fundamental requirements such as a QC committee in each hospital, a medical physicist, dosimetrists (QC members), and an external audit.

Transforming nanomedicine manufacturing toward Quality by Design and microfluidics.

PubMed

Colombo, Stefano; Beck-Broichsitter, Moritz; Bøtker, Johan Peter; Malmsten, Martin; Rantanen, Jukka; Bohr, Adam

2018-04-05

Nanopharmaceuticals aim at translating the unique features of nano-scale materials into therapeutic products and consequently their development relies critically on the progression in manufacturing technology to allow scalable processes complying with process economy and quality assurance. The relatively high failure rate in translational nanopharmaceutical research and development, with respect to new products on the market, is at least partly due to immature bottom-up manufacturing development and resulting sub-optimal control of quality attributes in nanopharmaceuticals. Recently, quality-oriented manufacturing of pharmaceuticals has undergone an unprecedented change toward process and product development interaction. In this context, Quality by Design (QbD) aims to integrate product and process development resulting in an increased number of product applications to regulatory agencies and stronger proprietary defense strategies of process-based products. Although QbD can be applied to essentially any production approach, microfluidic production offers particular opportunities for QbD-based manufacturing of nanopharmaceuticals. Microfluidics provides unique design flexibility, process control and parameter predictability, and also offers ample opportunities for modular production setups, allowing process feedback for continuously operating production and process control. The present review aims at outlining emerging opportunities in the synergistic implementation of QbD strategies and microfluidic production in contemporary development and manufacturing of nanopharmaceuticals. In doing so, aspects of design and development, but also technology management, are reviewed, as is the strategic role of these tools for aligning nanopharmaceutical innovation, development, and advanced industrialization in the broader pharmaceutical field. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 15348 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Texas; Revision To Control...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

.... What Is a SIP? Section 110 of the CAA requires states to develop air pollution regulations and control... air pollution regulations, control strategies, other means or techniques, and technical analyses... provisions of the CAA. A SIP protects air quality primarily by addressing air pollution at its point of...

A quality system for PET: An industry perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zigler, Steven S.; Breslow, Kenneth; Nazerias, Michael

2005-12-01

Quality systems have been employed in a variety of industries to develop and supply products that meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Most quality systems address organizational structure, design controls, production, complaints, audits, corrective actions and preventive actions. This paper describes PETNET's efforts to develop a quality system for use in the production of PET tracers. Our goal is to ensure quality products and to facilitate compliance with impending PET good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations.

Development of quality control and instrumentation performance metrics for diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging instruments in the multi-center clinical environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keene, Samuel T.; Cerussi, Albert E.; Warren, Robert V.; Hill, Brian; Roblyer, Darren; Leproux, AnaÑ--s.; Durkin, Amanda F.; O'Sullivan, Thomas D.; Haghany, Hosain; Mantulin, William W.; Tromberg, Bruce J.

2013-03-01

Instrument equivalence and quality control are critical elements of multi-center clinical trials. We currently have five identical Diffuse Optical Spectroscopic Imaging (DOSI) instruments enrolled in the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN, #6691) trial located at five academic clinical research sites in the US. The goal of the study is to predict the response of breast tumors to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 60 patients. In order to reliably compare DOSI measurements across different instruments, operators and sites, we must be confident that the data quality is comparable. We require objective and reliable methods for identifying, correcting, and rejecting low quality data. To achieve this goal, we developed and tested an automated quality control algorithm that rejects data points below the instrument noise floor, improves tissue optical property recovery, and outputs a detailed data quality report. Using a new protocol for obtaining dark-noise data, we applied the algorithm to ACRIN patient data and successfully improved the quality of recovered physiological data in some cases.

Enhancement of the Automated Quality Control Procedures for the International Soil Moisture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heer, Elsa; Xaver, Angelika; Dorigo, Wouter; Messner, Romina

2017-04-01

In-situ soil moisture observations are still trusted to be the most reliable data to validate remotely sensed soil moisture products. Thus, the quality of in-situ soil moisture observations is of high importance. The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; http://ismn.geo.tuwien.ac.at/) provides in-situ soil moisture data from all around the world. The data is collected from individual networks and data providers, measured by different sensors in various depths. The data sets which are delivered in different units, time zones and data formats are then transformed into homogeneous data sets. An erroneous behavior of soil moisture data is very difficult to detect, due to annual and daily changes and most significantly the high influence of precipitation and snow melting processes. Only few of the network providers have a quality assessment for their data sets. Therefore, advanced quality control procedures have been developed for the ISMN (Dorigo et al. 2013). Three categories of quality checks were introduced: exceeding boundary values, geophysical consistency checks and a spectrum based approach. The spectrum based quality control algorithms aim to detect erroneous measurements which occur within plausible geophysical ranges, e.g. a sudden drop in soil moisture caused by a sensor malfunction. By defining several conditions which have to be met by the original soil moisture time series and their first and second derivative, such error types can be detected. Since the development of these sophisticated methods many more data providers shared their data with the ISMN and new types of erroneous measurements were identified. Thus, an enhancement of the automated quality control procedures became necessary. In the present work, we introduce enhancements of the existing quality control algorithms. Additionally, six completely new quality checks have been developed, e.g. detection of suspicious values before or after NAN-values, constant values and values that lie in a spectrum where a high majority of values before and after is flagged and therefore a sensor malfunction is certain. For the evaluation of the enhanced automated quality control system many test data sets were chosen, and manually validated to be compared to the existing quality control procedures and the new algorithms. Improvements will be shown that assure an appropriate assessment of the ISMN data sets, which are used for validations of soil moisture data retrieved by satellite data and are the foundation many other scientific publications.

ITS data quality control and the calculation of mobility performance measures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-09-01

This report describes the results of research on the use of intelligent transportation system (ITS) data in calculating mobility performance measures for ITS operations. The report also describes a data quality control process developed for the Trans...

Quality control and in-service inspection technology for hybrid-composite girder bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

This report describes efforts to develop quality control tools and in-service inspection technologies for the fabrication and construction of Hybrid Composite Beams (HCBs). HCBs are a new bridge technology currently being evaluated by the Missouri De...

Research note : field control of asphalt concrete paving mixtures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

The goal of this study was to develop information and evaluate new methods for controlling quality of the AC mixture in the mat. Specifically, this research project evaluated a gyratory compactor in the field laboratory to determine mix quality. Spec...

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF WET-WEATHER FLOW MANAGEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The management of wet-weather flow (WWF) is necessary to maintain the quality of urban water resources. Throughout history strategies were implemented to control WWF for reasons, e.g., flood and water quality control, aesthetic improvement, waste removal and others. A comprehen...

Development of alternative sulfur dioxide control strategies for a metropolitan area and its environs, utilizing a modified climatological dispersion model

Treesearch

K. J. Skipka; D. B. Smith

1977-01-01

Alternative control strategies were developed for achieving compliance with ambient air quality standards in Portland, Maine, and its environs, using a modified climatological dispersion model (CDM) and manipulating the sulfur content of the fuel oil consumed in four concentric zones. Strategies were evaluated for their impact on ambient air quality, economics, and...

[Advances in the use of instrumental measurement of colour in the development, production and quality control of drugs, medicinal preparations and pharmaceutical auxiliary substances I ].

PubMed

Subert, Jan; Cižmárik, Jozef

2013-04-01

Colour is one of the important indices of the quality of drugs, medicinal preparations and pharmaceutical auxiliary substances. The paper summarizes the development and use of instrumental measurement of colour in pharmacy in recent ten years focusing on the drugs of synthetic origin and pharmaceutical auxiliary substances including their control.

Development and Perceptual Evaluation of Amplitude-Based F0 Control in Electrolarynx Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saikachi, Yoko; Stevens, Kenneth N.; Hillman, Robert E.

2009-01-01

Purpose: Current electrolarynx (EL) devices produce a mechanical speech quality that has been largely attributed to the lack of natural fundamental frequency (F0) variation. In order to improve the quality of EL speech, in the present study the authors aimed to develop and evaluate an automatic F0 control scheme, in which F0 was modulated based on…

Quality Control (QC) System Development for the Pell Grant Program: A Conceptual Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advanced Technology, Inc., Reston, VA.

The objectives of the Pell Grant quality control (QC) system and the general definition of QC are considered. Attention is also directed to: the objectives of the Stage II Pell Grant QC system design and testing project, the approach used to develop the QC system, and the interface of the QC system and the Pell Grant delivery system. The…

The Development of a Technical Conceptual Structure for the Concepts Possessed by Selected Quality Control Specialists. Report of a Research Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nee, John G.

This project had as its specific objective the development and field testing of a procedure for identifying the structure of technical concepts possessed by a group of selected quality control specialists. The associative theory of verbal behavior served as the rationale by which conceptual structures depicted by graphical maps of technical…

Optimizing cinefilm.

PubMed

Kato, W; Wong, M

1975-01-01

A system for improving the quality of cinefilm and for maintaining quality control is described. Objective criteria for contrast, resolution, and grain structure were established to measure the effects of varying X-ray dose, f-stop, development temperature, and selection of film and developer. We found that all variables nust be adjusted to maximize the viewing quality and that similar denisty curves can be achieved, independently of the choice of film and developer.

Guidance for the Development of Air Force Storm Water Sampling Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

38 Storm Water Quality Monitoring ................. 39 Determining Flow Rate ....................... 42 Weirs and Flumes... water quality monitoring it is not possible to analyze the entire nmoff from a drainage basin. The objective of water quality sampling is to collect a...development of storm water pollution prevention plans. Best management practices can also be developed to control the pollution sources identified. In storm

Development and implementation of an automated quantitative film digitizer quality control program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fetterly, Kenneth A.; Avula, Ramesh T. V.; Hangiandreou, Nicholas J.

1999-05-01

A semi-automated, quantitative film digitizer quality control program that is based on the computer analysis of the image data from a single digitized test film was developed. This program includes measurements of the geometric accuracy, optical density performance, signal to noise ratio, and presampled modulation transfer function. The variability of the measurements was less than plus or minus 5%. Measurements were made on a group of two clinical and two laboratory laser film digitizers during a trial period of approximately four months. Quality control limits were established based on clinical necessity, vendor specifications and digitizer performance. During the trial period, one of the digitizers failed the performance requirements and was corrected by calibration.

Theoretical approach to society-wide environmental quality control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ayano, K.

1982-01-01

The study outlines the basis for a theory of societal control of environmental quality in the US based on the concepts and philosophy of company-wide quality control which has developed in Japan as a cross-disciplinary approach to problem-solving in the industrial realm. The basic concepts are: 1) every member of society, as a producer of environmental products and services for future generations, in principle has the responsibility to control the quality of his output; 2) environment quality is the quality of life, or the fitness of use of environment for humans; and 3) societal control is any activity necessary formore » quality production of environmental products and services continuously or in the long run. A motivator-hygiene theory of environmental quality is identified, and a proposal is made that the policy provision must be formulated differently between those aimed at hygiene factors of environmental quality and those aimed at motivators, the former in a collectivistic manner, the latter as an individual problem. The concept of societal cost of environmental quality is introduced. Based on the motivator-hygiene theory of environmental quality, the collectivistic and individual approaches are differentiated and discussed.« less

Towards an integrated quality control procedure for eddy-covariance data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitale, Domenico; Papale, Dario

2017-04-01

The eddy-covariance technique is nowadays the most reliable and direct way, allowing to calculate the main fluxes of Sensible and Latent Heat and of Net Ecosystem Exchange, this last being the result of the difference between the CO2 assimilated by photosynthetic activities and those released to the atmosphere through the ecosystem respiration processes. Despite the improvements in accuracy of measurement instruments and software development, the eddy-covariance technique is not suitable under non-ideal conditions respect to the instruments characteristics and the physical assumption behind the technique mainly related to the well-developed and stationary turbulence conditions. Under these conditions the calculated fluxes are not reliable and need to be flagged and discarded. In order to discover these unavoidable "bad" fluxes and build dataset with the highest quality, several tests applied both on high-frequency (10-20 Hz) raw data and on half-hourly times series have been developed in the past years. Nevertheless, there is an increasing need to develop a standardized quality control procedure suitable not only for the analysis of long-term data, but also for the near-real time data processing. In this paper, we review established quality assessment procedures and present an innovative quality control strategy with the purpose of integrating the existing consolidated procedures with robust and advanced statistical tests more suitable for the analysis of time series data. The performance of the proposed quality control strategy is evaluated both on simulated and EC data distributed by the ICOS research infrastructure. It is concluded that the proposed strategy is able to flag and exclude unrealistic fluxes while being reproducible and retaining the largest possible amount of high quality data.

Effects of light quality on the accumulation of phytochemicals in vegetables produced in controlled environments: a review.

PubMed

Bian, Zhong Hua; Yang, Qi Chang; Liu, Wen Ke

2015-03-30

Phytochemicals in vegetables are important for human health, and their biosynthesis, metabolism and accumulation are affected by environmental factors. Light condition (light quality, light intensity and photoperiod) is one of the most important environmental variables in regulating vegetable growth, development and phytochemical accumulation, particularly for vegetables produced in controlled environments. With the development of light-emitting diode (LED) technology, the regulation of light environments has become increasingly feasible for the provision of ideal light quality, intensity and photoperiod for protected facilities. In this review, the effects of light quality regulation on phytochemical accumulation in vegetables produced in controlled environments are identified, highlighting the research progress and advantages of LED technology as a light environment regulation tool for modifying phytochemical accumulation in vegetables. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quality control of test iodine in urine by spectrophotometry UV-Vis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huda, Thorikul; Nafisah, Durotun; Kumorowulan, Suryati; Lestari, Sri

2017-12-01

A quality control of iodine test in with UV-Vis spectrophotometry has been done. The purpose of this research is to find out whether the test results of samples conducted by Clinical Office of Research and Development Of GAKI (BP2GAKI) laboratory are still controlled, feasible and reliable, and still consistent over time, as indicated by the control chart. Quality control parameters are linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, and limit of quantification. Based on the quality control that has been done, obtained linearity (r)= -0.9974, the detection limit and the limit of quantitation are respectively 2.26 µg/L and 7.54 µg/L, while the accuracy is calculated by %recovery and precision with value % RSD are 97.4161% and 1.7136% respectively. The quality control of iodine test in urine using the control chart shows excellent or stable results for 30 days and no variation of the results is very different for each day.

Flying qualities - A costly lapse in flight-control design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, D. T.

1982-01-01

Generic problems in advanced aircraft with advanced control systems which suffer from control sensitivity, sluggish response, and pilot-induced oscillation tendencies are examined, with a view to improving techniques for eliminating the problems in the design phase. Results of two NASA and NASA/AIAA workshops reached a consensus that flying qualities criteria do not match control system development, control system designers are not relying on past experience in their field, ground-based simulation is relied on too heavily, and communications between flying qualities and control systems engineers need improvement. A summation is offered in that hardware and software have outstripped the pilot's capacity to use the capabilities which new aircraft offer. The flying qualities data base is stressed to be dynamic, and continually redefining the man/machine relationships.

Vista/F-16 Multi-Axis Thrust Vectoring (MATV) control law design and evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zwerneman, W. D.; Eller, B. G.

1994-01-01

For the Multi-Axis Thrust Vectoring (MATV) program, a new control law was developed using multi-axis thrust vectoring to augment the aircraft's aerodynamic control power to provide maneuverability above the normal F-16 angle of attack limit. The control law architecture was developed using Lockheed Fort Worth's offline and piloted simulation capabilities. The final flight control laws were used in flight test to demonstrate tactical benefits gained by using thrust vectoring in air-to-air combat. Differences between the simulator aerodynamics data base and the actual aircraft aerodynamics led to significantly different lateral-directional flying qualities during the flight test program than those identified during piloted simulation. A 'dial-a-gain' flight test control law update was performed in the middle of the flight test program. This approach allowed for inflight optimization of the aircraft's flying qualities. While this approach is not preferred over updating the simulator aerodynamic data base and then updating the control laws, the final selected gain set did provide adequate lateral-directional flying qualities over the MATV flight envelope. The resulting handling qualities and the departure resistance of the aircraft allowed the 422nd_squadron pilots to focus entirely on evaluating the aircraft's tactical utility.

Environmental Law

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-01

Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Flue - Gas Desulfurization (FGD). Post-combustion sulfur dioxide control technology in which a scrubber...4. Individual Control Strategies for Toxic Pollutants. a. The CWA requires states to identify “impaired” water bodies within their...water quality standards. Thereafter, states must develop “individual control strategies ” (ICSs) to regulate such pollutants and achieve water quality

Development and flight test results of an autothrottle control system at Mach 3 cruise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilyard, G. B.; Burken, J. J.

1980-01-01

Flight test results obtained with the original Mach hold autopilot designed the YF-12C airplane which uses elevator control and a newly developed Mach hold system having an autothrottle integrated with an altitude hold autopilot system are presented. The autothrottle tests demonstrate good speed control at high Mach numbers and high altitudes while simultaneously maintaining control over altitude and good ride qualities. The autothrottle system was designed to control either Mach number or knots equivalent airspeed (KEAS). Excellent control of Mach number or KEAS was obtained with the autothrottle system when combined with altitude hold. Ride qualities were significantly better than with the conventional Mach hold system.

Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration Project. Volume 2: Environmental Impact Statement Comments Letters and Response

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

The SWMPs must include a program for implementing new development and construction site storm water quality controls. The objective of this...mitigate those impacts (see Storm Water Quality Control, below). The Regional Board has adopted U.S. EPA’s Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1...impacts to wetlands or other Waters of the State. Storm Water Quality Control Storm water is the major source of fresh water to creeks and waterways. Storm

Development of risk-based air quality management strategies under impacts of climate change.

PubMed

Liao, Kuo-Jen; Amar, Praveen; Tagaris, Efthimios; Russell, Armistead G

2012-05-01

Climate change is forecast to adversely affect air quality through perturbations in meteorological conditions, photochemical reactions, and precursor emissions. To protect the environment and human health from air pollution, there is an increasing recognition of the necessity of developing effective air quality management strategies under the impacts of climate change. This paper presents a framework for developing risk-based air quality management strategies that can help policy makers improve their decision-making processes in response to current and future climate change about 30-50 years from now. Development of air quality management strategies under the impacts of climate change is fundamentally a risk assessment and risk management process involving four steps: (1) assessment of the impacts of climate change and associated uncertainties; (2) determination of air quality targets; (3) selections of potential air quality management options; and (4) identification of preferred air quality management strategies that minimize control costs, maximize benefits, or limit the adverse effects of climate change on air quality when considering the scarcity of resources. The main challenge relates to the level of uncertainties associated with climate change forecasts and advancements in future control measures, since they will significantly affect the risk assessment results and development of effective air quality management plans. The concept presented in this paper can help decision makers make appropriate responses to climate change, since it provides an integrated approach for climate risk assessment and management when developing air quality management strategies. Development of climate-responsive air quality management strategies is fundamentally a risk assessment and risk management process. The risk assessment process includes quantification of climate change impacts on air quality and associated uncertainties. Risk management for air quality under the impacts of climate change includes determination of air quality targets, selections of potential management options, and identification of effective air quality management strategies through decision-making models. The risk-based decision-making framework can also be applied to develop climate-responsive management strategies for the other environmental dimensions and assess costs and benefits of future environmental management policies.

Quality-assurance data for routine water quality analyses by the U. S. Geological Survey laboratory in Troy, New York; July 1993 through June 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2001-01-01

A laboratory for analysis of low-ionic strength water has been developed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) office in Troy, N.Y., to analyze samples collected by USGS projects in the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures developed to ensure proper sample collection, processing, and analysis. The quality-assurance/quality-control data are stored in the laboratory's SAS data-management system, which provides efficient review, compilation, and plotting of quality-assurance/quality-control data. This report presents and discusses samples analyzed from July 1993 through June 1995. Quality-control results for 18 analytical procedures were evaluated for bias and precision. Control charts show that data from seven of the analytical procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for either high-concentration or low-concentration samples but were within control limits; these procedures were: acid-neutralizing capacity, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (soil expulsions), chloride, magnesium, nitrate (colorimetric method), and pH. Three of the analytical procedures were occasionally biased but were within control limits; they were: calcium (high for high-concentration samples for May 1995), dissolved organic carbon (high for highconcentration samples from January through September 1994), and fluoride (high in samples for April and June 1994). No quality-control sample has been developed for the organic monomeric aluminum procedure. Results from the filter-blank and analytical-blank analyses indicate that all analytical procedures in which blanks were run were within control limits, although values for a few blanks were outside the control limits. Blanks were not analyzed for acid-neutralizing capacity, dissolved inorganic carbon, fluoride, nitrate (colorimetric method), or pH. Sampling and analysis precision are evaluated herein in terms of the coefficient of variation obtained for triplicate samples in 14 of the 18 procedures. Data-quality objectives were met by more than 90 percent of the samples analyzed in all procedures except total monomeric aluminum (85 percent of samples met objectives), total aluminum (70 percent of samples met objectives), and dissolved organic carbon (85 percent of samples met objectives). Triplicate samples were not analyzed for ammonium, fluoride, dissolved inorganic carbon, or nitrate (colorimetric method). Results of the USGS interlaboratory Standard Reference Sample Program indicated high data quality with a median result of 3.6 of a possible 4.0. Environment Canada's LRTAP interlaboratory study results indicated that more than 85 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives in 6 of the 12 analyses; exceptions were calcium, dissolved organic carbon, chloride, pH, potassium, and sodium. Data-quality objectives were not met for calcium samples in one LRTAP study, but 94 percent of samples analyzed were within control limits for the remaining studies. Data-quality objectives were not met by 35 percent of samples analyzed for dissolved organic carbon, but 94 percent of sample values were within 20 percent of the most probable value. Data-quality objectives were not met for 30 percent of samples analyzed for chloride, but 90 percent of sample values were within 20 percent of the most probable value. Measurements of samples with a pH above 6.0 were biased high in 54 percent of the samples, although 85 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for pH measurements below 6.0. Data-quality objectives for potassium and sodium were not met in one study (only 33 percent of the samples analyzed met the objectives), although 85 percent of the sample values were within control limits for the other studies. Measured sodium values were above the upper control limit in all studies. Results from blind reference-sample analyses indicated that data

A Methodology for Performing Effects-Based Assessments

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

can then be used to make assessments (Smith, 2002:384). 2.8 Cause-and-Effect Diagrams Developed by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa in the field of Quality Control...John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004. Ishikawa , Kaoru . Guide to Quality Control. White Plains NY: Asian Productivity Organization, 1989...various causes affecting product quality by sorting out and relating the causes. Cause-and-effect diagrams are sometimes called Ishikawa diagrams, or

Adopting Quality Assurance Technology in Customer-Vendor Relationships: A Case Study of How Interorganizational Relationships Influence the Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heeager, Lise Tordrup; Tjørnehøj, Gitte

Quality assurance technology is a formal control mechanism aiming at increasing the quality of the product exchanged between vendors and customers. Studies of the adoption of this technology in the field of system development rarely focus on the role of the relationship between the customer and vendor in the process. We have studied how the process of adopting quality assurance technology by a small Danish IT vendor developing pharmacy software for a customer in the public sector was influenced by the relationship with the customer. The case study showed that the adoption process was shaped to a high degree by the relationship and vice versa. The prior high level of trust and mutual knowledge helped the parties negotiate mutually feasible solutions throughout the adoption process. We thus advise enhancing trust-building processes to strengthen the relationships and to balance formal control and social control to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome of the adoption of quality assurance technology in a customer-vendor relationship.

Role of Protein Quality Control Failure in Alcoholic Hepatitis Pathogenesis.

PubMed

French, Samuel W; Masouminia, Maryam; Samadzadeh, Sara; Tillman, Brittany C; Mendoza, Alejandro; French, Barbara A

2017-02-08

The mechanisms of protein quality control in hepatocytes in cases of alcoholic hepatitis (AH) including ufmylation, FAT10ylation, metacaspase 1 (Mca1), ERAD (endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation), JUNQ (juxta nuclear quality control), IPOD (insoluble protein deposit) autophagocytosis, and ER stress are reviewed. The Mallory-Denk body (MDB) formation develops in the hepatocytes in alcoholic hepatitis as a consequence of the failure of these protein quality control mechanisms to remove misfolded and damaged proteins and to prevent MDB aggresome formation within the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. The proteins involved in the quality control pathways are identified, quantitated, and visualized by immunofluorescent antibody staining of liver biopsies from patients with AH. Quantification of the proteins are achieved by measuring the fluorescent intensity using a morphometric system. Ufmylation and FAT10ylation pathways were downregulated, Mca1 pathways were upregulated, autophagocytosis was upregulated, and ER stress PERK (protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase) and CHOP (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein) mechanisms were upregulated. Despite the upregulation of several pathways of protein quality control, aggresomes (MDBs) still formed in the hepatocytes in AH. The pathogenesis of AH is due to the failure of protein quality control, which causes balloon-cell change with MDB formation and ER stress.

Research and Development Trend of Shape Control for Cold Rolling Strip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong-Cheng; Liu, Hong-Min; Liu, Jun

2017-09-01

Shape is an important quality index of cold rolling strip. Up to now, many problems in the shape control domain have not been solved satisfactorily, and a review on the research progress in the shape control domain can help to seek new breakthrough directions. In the past 10 years, researches and applications of shape control models, shape control means, shape detection technology, and shape control system have achieved significant progress. In the aspect of shape control models, the researches in the past improve the accuracy, speed and robustness of the models. The intelligentization of shape control models should be strengthened in the future. In the aspect of the shape control means, the researches in the past focus on the roll optimization, mill type selection, process optimization, local strip shape control, edge drop control, and so on. In the future, more attention should be paid to the coordination control of both strip shape and other quality indexes, and the refinement of control objective should be strengthened. In the aspects of shape detection technology and shape control system, some new types of shape detection meters and shape control systems are developed and have successfully industrial applications. In the future, the standardization of shape detection technology and shape control system should be promoted to solve the problem of compatibility. In general, the four expected development trends of shape control for cold rolling strip in the future are intelligentization, coordination, refinement, and standardization. The proposed research provides new breakthrough directions for improving shape quality.

Developments in Signature Process Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, L. B.; Dominski, Marty

1993-01-01

Developments in the adaptive process control technique known as Signature Process Control for Advanced Composites (SPCC) are described. This computer control method for autoclave processing of composites was used to develop an optimum cure cycle for AFR 700B polyamide and for an experimental poly-isoimide. An improved process cycle was developed for Avimid N polyamide. The potential for extending the SPCC technique to pre-preg quality control, press modeling, pultrusion and RTM is briefly discussed.

A novel Python program for implementation of quality control in the ELISA.

PubMed

Wetzel, Hanna N; Cohen, Cinder; Norman, Andrew B; Webster, Rose P

2017-09-01

The use of semi-quantitative assays such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) requires stringent quality control of the data. However, such quality control is often lacking in academic settings due to unavailability of software and knowledge. Therefore, our aim was to develop methods to easily implement Levey-Jennings quality control methods. For this purpose, we created a program written in Python (a programming language with an open-source license) and tested it using a training set of ELISA standard curves quantifying the Fab fragment of an anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody in mouse blood. A colorimetric ELISA was developed using a goat anti-human anti-Fab capture method. Mouse blood samples spiked with the Fab fragment were tested against a standard curve of known concentrations of Fab fragment in buffer over a period of 133days stored at 4°C to assess stability of the Fab fragment and to generate a test dataset to assess the program. All standard curves were analyzed using our program to batch process the data and to generate Levey-Jennings control charts and statistics regarding the datasets. The program was able to identify values outside of two standard deviations, and this identification of outliers was consistent with the results of a two-way ANOVA. This program is freely available, which will help laboratories implement quality control methods, thus improving reproducibility within and between labs. We report here successful testing of the program with our training set and development of a method for quantification of the Fab fragment in mouse blood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel cell line generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology as universal quality control material for KRAS G12V mutation testing.

PubMed

Jia, Shiyu; Zhang, Rui; Lin, Guigao; Peng, Rongxue; Gao, Peng; Han, Yanxi; Fu, Yu; Ding, Jiansheng; Wu, Qisheng; Zhang, Kuo; Xie, Jiehong; Li, Jinming

2018-06-01

KRAS mutations are the key indicator for EGFR monoclonal antibody-targeted therapy and acquired drug resistance, and their accurate detection is critical to the clinical decision-making of colorectal cancer. However, no proper quality control material is available for the current detection methods, particularly next-generation sequencing (NGS). The ideal quality control material for NGS needs to provide both the tumor mutation gene and the matched background genomic DNA, which is uncataloged in public databases, to accurately distinguish germline polymorphisms and somatic mutations. We developed a novel KRAS G12V mutant cell line using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technique to make up for the deficiencies in existing quality control material and further validated the feasibility of the cell line as quality control material by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS), Sanger sequencing, digital PCR (dPCR), and NGS. We verified that the edited cell line specifically had the G12V mutation, and the validation results presented a high consistency among the four methods of detection. The three cell lines screened contained the G12V mutation and the mutation allele fractions of G12V-1, G12V-2, and G12V-3 were 52.01%, 82.06%, and 17.29%, respectively. The novel KRAS G12V cell line generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system is suitable as a quality control material for all current detection methods and provides a new direction in the development of quality control material. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Trading Quality across Borders: Colonial Discourse and International Quality Assurance Policies in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanco Ramírez, Gerardo

2014-01-01

Accountability and quality assurance have become central discourses in higher education policy throughout the world. However, accountability and quality assurance involve power and control. Practices and ideas about quality developed in the Global North are spreading rapidly across the Global South, leading to increased uniformity in the…

Quality controls for gamma cameras and PET cameras: development of a free open-source ImageJ program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlier, Thomas; Ferrer, Ludovic; Berruchon, Jean B.; Cuissard, Regis; Martineau, Adeline; Loonis, Pierre; Couturier, Olivier

2005-04-01

Acquisition data and treatments for quality controls of gamma cameras and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cameras are commonly performed with dedicated program packages, which are running only on manufactured computers and differ from each other, depending on camera company and program versions. The aim of this work was to develop a free open-source program (written in JAVA language) to analyze data for quality control of gamma cameras and PET cameras. The program is based on the free application software ImageJ and can be easily loaded on any computer operating system (OS) and thus on any type of computer in every nuclear medicine department. Based on standard parameters of quality control, this program includes 1) for gamma camera: a rotation center control (extracted from the American Association of Physics in Medicine, AAPM, norms) and two uniformity controls (extracted from the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, IPEM, and National Electronic Manufacturers Association, NEMA, norms). 2) For PET systems, three quality controls recently defined by the French Medical Physicist Society (SFPM), i.e. spatial resolution and uniformity in a reconstructed slice and scatter fraction, are included. The determination of spatial resolution (thanks to the Point Spread Function, PSF, acquisition) allows to compute the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) in both modalities of cameras. All the control functions are included in a tool box which is a free ImageJ plugin and could be soon downloaded from Internet. Besides, this program offers the possibility to save on HTML format the uniformity quality control results and a warning can be set to automatically inform users in case of abnormal results. The architecture of the program allows users to easily add any other specific quality control program. Finally, this toolkit is an easy and robust tool to perform quality control on gamma cameras and PET cameras based on standard computation parameters, is free, run on any type of computer and will soon be downloadable from the net (http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/plugins or http://nucleartoolkit.free.fr).

Characterization of a whole, inactivated influenza (H5N1) vaccine.

PubMed

Tada, Yoshikazu

2008-11-01

Effective vaccines against the highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1 virus are being developed worldwide. In Japan, two adjuvanted, inactivated, whole-virion influenza vaccines were recently developed and licensed as mock-up, pre-pandemic vaccine formulations by the Ministry of Health and Labor Welfare of Japan. During the vaccine design and development process, various obstacles were overcome and, in this report, we introduce the non clinical production, immunogenicity data in human and development process that was associated with egg-derived adjuvanted, inactivated, whole-virion influenza A (H5N1) vaccine. Pilot lots of H5N1 vaccine were produced using the avirulent H5N1 reference strain A/Vietnam/1194/2004 (H5N1) NIBRG-14 and administered following adsorption with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant. Quality control and formulation stability tests were performed before clinical trials were initiated (phase I-III). The research foundation for microbial diseases of Osaka University (BIKEN) carried out vaccine production, quality control, stability testing and the phase I clinical trial in addition to overseeing the licensing of this vaccine. Mitsubishi Chemical Safety Institute Ltd. carried out the non clinical pharmacological toxicity and safety studies and the Japanese medical association carried out the phase II/III trials. Phase I-III trials took place in 2006. The production processes were well controlled by established tests and validations. Vaccine quality was confirmed by quality control, stability and pre-clinical tests, and the vaccine was approved as a mock-up, pre-pandemic vaccine by the Ministry of Health and Labor Welfare of Japan. Numerous safety and efficacy procedures were carried out prior to the approval of the described vaccine formulation. Some of these procedures were of particular importance e.g., vaccine development, validation, and quality control tests that included strict monitoring of the hemagglutinin (HA) content of the vaccine formulations. Improving vaccine productivity, shortening the production period and improving antigen yield of the avirulent vaccine strains were also considered important vaccine development criteria.

Biological Regulation of Bone Quality

PubMed Central

Alliston, Tamara

2014-01-01

The ability of bone to resist fracture is determined by the combination of bone mass and bone quality. Like bone mass, bone quality is carefully regulated. Of the many aspects of bone quality, this review focuses on biological mechanisms that control the material quality of the bone extracellular matrix (ECM). Bone ECM quality depends upon ECM composition and organization. Proteins and signaling pathways that affect the mineral or organic constituents of bone ECM impact bone ECM material properties, such as elastic modulus and hardness. These properties are also sensitive to pathways that regulate bone remodeling by osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes. Several extracellular proteins, signaling pathways, intracellular effectors, and transcription regulatory networks have been implicated in the control of bone ECM quality. A molecular understanding of these mechanisms will elucidate the biological control of bone quality and suggest new targets for the development of therapies to prevent bone fragility. PMID:24894149

Training Quality: Before and after Winning the Deming Prize.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magennis, Jo P.

1995-01-01

Describes the Quality Improvement Program developed by Florida Power and Light's Nuclear Training organization that was awarded the Deming Application Prize for quality control. Training quality, team activities, training's role in business planning, customer involvement and evaluation, and continuous improvement of training are discussed. (LRW)

Quality assurance, an administrative means to a managerial end: Part I. A historical overview.

PubMed

Clark, G B

1990-01-01

Quality has become the hallmark of industrial excellence. Many diverse factors have heightened national concern about managing quality control throughout the health-care industry, including laboratory services. Industry-wide focus on quality control has created a need for an administrative program to evaluate its effectiveness. That program is medical quality assurance. Because of national and industry-wide concern, development of quality assurance theory has gained increasing importance in medical accreditation and management circles. Scrutiny of the application of quality assurance has become particularly prominent during accreditation inspections. Implementing quality assurance programs now demands more of already finite resources. The professional laboratory manager should understand how quality assurance has developed in the United States during the past 150 years. The well-informed manager should recognize why the health-care industry only recently began to develop its own expertise in quality assurance. It is also worthwhile to understand how heavily health care has relied on the lessons learned in the non-health-care sector. This three-part series will present information that will help in applying quality assurance more effectively as a management tool in the medical laboratory. This first part outlines the early industrial, socioeconomic, and medicolegal background of quality assurance. Terminology is defined with some distinction made between the terms management and administration. The second part will address current accreditation requirements. Special emphasis will be placed on the practical application of accreditation guidelines, providing a template for quality assurance methods in the medical laboratory. The third part will provide an overview of quality assurance as a total management tool with some suggestions for developing and implementing a quality assurance program.

Develop nondestructive rapid pavement quality assurance/quality control evaluation test methods and supporting technology : project summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The findings from the proof of concept with mechanics-based models for flexible base suggest additional validation work should be performed, draft construction specification frameworks should be developed, and work extending the technology to stabili...

Develop nondestructive rapid pavement quality Assurance/quality control evaluation test methods and supporting technology : project summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The findings from the proof of concept with mechanics-based models for flexible base suggest additional validation work should be performed, draft construction specification frameworks should be developed, and work extending the technology to stabili...

Sci-Fri AM: Quality, Safety, and Professional Issues 01: CPQR Technical Quality Control Suite Development including Quality Control Workload Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malkoske, Kyle; Nielsen, Michelle; Brown, Erika

A close partnership between the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) and the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicist’s (COMP) Quality Assurance and Radiation Safety Advisory Committee (QARSAC) has resulted in the development of a suite of Technical Quality Control (TQC) Guidelines for radiation treatment equipment, that outline specific performance objectives and criteria that equipment should meet in order to assure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. The framework includes consolidation of existing guidelines and/or literature by expert reviewers, structured stages of public review, external field-testing and ratification by COMP. The adopted framework for the development and maintenance of themore » TQCs ensures the guidelines incorporate input from the medical physics community during development, measures the workload required to perform the QC tests outlined in each TQC, and remain relevant (i.e. “living documents”) through subsequent planned reviews and updates. This presentation will show the Multi-Leaf Linear Accelerator document as an example of how feedback and cross-national work to achieve a robust guidance document. During field-testing, each technology was tested at multiple centres in a variety of clinic environments. As part of the defined feedback, workload data was captured. This lead to average time associated with testing as defined in each TQC document. As a result, for a medium-sized centre comprising 6 linear accelerators and a comprehensive brachytherapy program, we evaluate the physics workload to 1.5 full-time equivalent physicist per year to complete all QC tests listed in this suite.« less

Automated update, revision, and quality control of the maize genome annotations using MAKER-P improves the B73 RefGen_v3 gene models and identifies new genes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The large size and relative complexity of many plant genomes make creation, quality control, and dissemination of high-quality gene structure annotations challenging. In response, we have developed MAKER-P, a fast and easy-to-use genome annotation engine for plants. Here, we report the use of MAKER-...

Field Implementation of Handheld FTIR Spectrometer for Polymer Content Determination and for Quality Control of RAP Mixtures : Research Project Capsule

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-01

The purpose of this research study is to determine if the implementation of FTIRS in Louisiana for determining polymer content in asphalt mixtures and for quality control of recycled asphalt mixtures is feasible. The ultimate objective is to develop ...

33 CFR 385.21 - Quality control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... will be produced by a Project Delivery Team. The quality control plan shall be included in the Project Management Plan and shall describe the procedures to be used to ensure compliance with technical and policy requirements during implementation. (b) During development of the Project Management Plan for each project, the...

Bioengineering a Human Plasma-Based Epidermal Substitute With Efficient Grafting Capacity and High Content in Clonogenic Cells

PubMed Central

Alexaline, Maia M.; Trouillas, Marina; Nivet, Muriel; Bourreau, Emilie; Leclerc, Thomas; Duhamel, Patrick; Martin, Michele T.; Doucet, Christelle; Fortunel, Nicolas O.

2015-01-01

Cultured epithelial autografts (CEAs) produced from a small, healthy skin biopsy represent a lifesaving surgical technique in cases of full-thickness skin burn covering >50% of total body surface area. CEAs also present numerous drawbacks, among them the use of animal proteins and cells, the high fragility of keratinocyte sheets, and the immaturity of the dermal-epidermal junction, leading to heavy cosmetic and functional sequelae. To overcome these weaknesses, we developed a human plasma-based epidermal substitute (hPBES) for epidermal coverage in cases of massive burn, as an alternative to traditional CEA, and set up critical quality controls for preclinical and clinical studies. In this study, phenotypical analyses in conjunction with functional assays (clonal analysis, long-term culture, or in vivo graft) showed that our new substitute fulfills the biological requirements for epidermal regeneration. hPBES keratinocytes showed high potential for cell proliferation and subsequent differentiation similar to healthy skin compared with a well-known reference material, as ascertained by a combination of quality controls. This work highlights the importance of integrating relevant multiparameter quality controls into the bioengineering of new skin substitutes before they reach clinical development. Significance This work involves the development of a new bioengineered epidermal substitute with pertinent functional quality controls. The novelty of this work is based on this quality approach. PMID:25848122

Bioengineering a human plasma-based epidermal substitute with efficient grafting capacity and high content in clonogenic cells.

PubMed

Alexaline, Maia M; Trouillas, Marina; Nivet, Muriel; Bourreau, Emilie; Leclerc, Thomas; Duhamel, Patrick; Martin, Michele T; Doucet, Christelle; Fortunel, Nicolas O; Lataillade, Jean-Jacques

2015-06-01

Cultured epithelial autografts (CEAs) produced from a small, healthy skin biopsy represent a lifesaving surgical technique in cases of full-thickness skin burn covering >50% of total body surface area. CEAs also present numerous drawbacks, among them the use of animal proteins and cells, the high fragility of keratinocyte sheets, and the immaturity of the dermal-epidermal junction, leading to heavy cosmetic and functional sequelae. To overcome these weaknesses, we developed a human plasma-based epidermal substitute (hPBES) for epidermal coverage in cases of massive burn, as an alternative to traditional CEA, and set up critical quality controls for preclinical and clinical studies. In this study, phenotypical analyses in conjunction with functional assays (clonal analysis, long-term culture, or in vivo graft) showed that our new substitute fulfills the biological requirements for epidermal regeneration. hPBES keratinocytes showed high potential for cell proliferation and subsequent differentiation similar to healthy skin compared with a well-known reference material, as ascertained by a combination of quality controls. This work highlights the importance of integrating relevant multiparameter quality controls into the bioengineering of new skin substitutes before they reach clinical development. This work involves the development of a new bioengineered epidermal substitute with pertinent functional quality controls. The novelty of this work is based on this quality approach. ©AlphaMed Press.

CALL FOR PAPERS: 13th International Conference on Force and Mass Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-01-01

10 14 May 1993, Helsinki Fair Centre, Finland Scope of the Conference The Conference reports and reviews the state of the art and future trends in force and mass measurements in science and industry. Emphasis is on the applications of new methods, current problems in calibration and quality control, as well as on advancements in new sensor technologies and industrial application of force and mass measurements. Main Themes and Topics 1. The state of the art and development trends in force and mass measurements Development and stability of high level mass standards Mass comparators and force standard machine New research topics in mass and force 2. Calibration and quality control Calibration methods Estimation of uncertainties and classification of accuracies Relations between calibration, testing and quality control Requirements for quality control Verification of weighing instruments and their main devices 3. Application of force and mass measurements Automatic weighing Mass flow measurements Quality control in process industry Sensor technologies Practical applications Special applications in industry, trade, etc. Deadline for submission of abstracts: 30 June 1992. For further information please contact: Finnish Society of Automation, Asemapäällikönkatu 12C, SF-00520 HELSINKI, Finland Phone: Int. +3580 1461 644, Fax: Int. +3580 1461 650

Pharmaceutical product development: A quality by design approach

PubMed Central

Pramod, Kannissery; Tahir, M. Abu; Charoo, Naseem A.; Ansari, Shahid H.; Ali, Javed

2016-01-01

The application of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical product development is now a thrust area for the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. International Conference on Harmonization and United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) emphasized the principles and applications of QbD in pharmaceutical development in their guidance for the industry. QbD attributes are addressed in question-based review, developed by USFDA for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of abbreviated new drug applications. QbD principles, when implemented, lead to a successful product development, subsequent prompt regulatory approval, reduce exhaustive validation burden, and significantly reduce post-approval changes. The key elements of QbD viz., target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, risk assessments, design space, control strategy, product lifecycle management, and continual improvement are discussed to understand the performance of dosage forms within design space. Design of experiments, risk assessment tools, and process analytical technology are also discussed for their role in QbD. This review underlines the importance of QbD in inculcating science-based approach in pharmaceutical product development. PMID:27606256

Pharmaceutical product development: A quality by design approach.

PubMed

Pramod, Kannissery; Tahir, M Abu; Charoo, Naseem A; Ansari, Shahid H; Ali, Javed

2016-01-01

The application of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical product development is now a thrust area for the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. International Conference on Harmonization and United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) emphasized the principles and applications of QbD in pharmaceutical development in their guidance for the industry. QbD attributes are addressed in question-based review, developed by USFDA for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of abbreviated new drug applications. QbD principles, when implemented, lead to a successful product development, subsequent prompt regulatory approval, reduce exhaustive validation burden, and significantly reduce post-approval changes. The key elements of QbD viz., target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, risk assessments, design space, control strategy, product lifecycle management, and continual improvement are discussed to understand the performance of dosage forms within design space. Design of experiments, risk assessment tools, and process analytical technology are also discussed for their role in QbD. This review underlines the importance of QbD in inculcating science-based approach in pharmaceutical product development.

Development and implementation of an audit tool for quality control of parenteral nutrition.

PubMed

García-Rodicio, Sonsoles; Abajo, Celia; Godoy, Mercedes; Catalá, Miguel Angel

2009-01-01

The aim of this article is to describe the development of a quality control methodology applied to patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) and to present the results obtained over the past 10 years. Development of the audit tool: In 1995, a total of 13 PN quality criteria and their standards were defined based on literature and past experiences. They were applied during 5 different 6-month audits carried out in subsequent years. According to the results of each audit, the criteria with lower validity were eliminated, while others were optimized and new criteria were introduced to complete the monitoring of other areas not previously examined. Currently, the quality control process includes 22 quality criteria and their standards that examine the following 4 different areas: (1) indication and duration of PN; (2) nutrition assessment, adequacy of the nutrition support, and monitoring; (3) metabolic and infectious complications; and (4) global efficacy of the nutrition support regimen. The authors describe the current definition of each criterion and present the results obtained in the 5 audits performed. In the past year, 9 of the 22 criteria reached the predefined standards. The areas detected for further improvements were: indication for PN, nutrition assessment, and management of catheter infections. The definition of quality criteria and their standards is an efficient method of providing a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the clinical care of patients receiving PN. It detects areas for improvement and assists in developing a methodology to work efficiently.

Rotorcraft handling-qualities design criteria development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aiken, Edwin W.; Lebacqz, J. Victor; Chen, Robert T. N.; Key, David L.

1988-01-01

Joint NASA/Army efforts at the Ames Research Center to develop rotorcraft handling-qualities design criteria began in earnest in 1975. Notable results were the UH-1H VSTOLAND variable stability helicopter, the VFA-2 camera-and-terrain-board simulator visual system, and the generic helicopter real-time mathematical model, ARMCOP. An initial series of handling-qualities studies was conducted to assess the effects of rotor design parameters, interaxis coupling, and various levels of stability and control augmentation. The ability to conduct in-flight handling-qualities research was enhanced by the development of the NASA/Army CH-47 variable-stability helicopter. Research programs conducted using this vehicle include vertical-response investigations, hover augmentation systems, and the effects of control-force characteristics. The handling-qualities data base was judged to be sufficient to allow an update of the military helicopter handling-qualities specification, MIL-H-8501. These efforts, including not only the in-house experimental work but also contracted research and collaborative programs performed under the auspices of various international agreements. The report concludes by reviewing the topics that are currently most in need of work, and the plans for addressing these topics.

ProSens: integrated production control by automated inspection planning and efficient multisensor metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Ulf; Li, Zhichao; Bichmann, Stephan, II; Pfeifer, Tilo

2003-05-01

By China's entry into the WTO, Chinese as well as German companies are facing the question, how to minimize the risk of unfamiliar cooperation partners when developing products. The rise of customer demands concerning quality, product diversity and the reduction of expenses require flexibility and efficiency with reliable component suppliers. In order to build and strengthen sino-german cooperations, a manufacturing control using homogenized and efficient measures to assure high quality is of vital importance. Lack of unifications may cause identical measurements conducted at subcontractors or customers to be carried out with different measurement processes which leads to incomparable results. Rapidly growing company cooperations and simultaneously decreasing of manufacturing scope cause substantial difficulties when coordinating joint quality control activities. "ProSens," a sino-german project consortium consisting of industrial users, technology producers and research institutes, aims at improving selected production processes by: Creation of a homogeneous quality awareness in sino-german cooperations. Sensitization for process accompanying metrology at an early stage of product development. Increase of the process performance by the use of integrated metrology. Reduction of production time and cost. Unification of quality control of complex products by means of efficient measurement strategies and CAD-based inspection planning.

Design and implementation of software for automated quality control and data analysis for a complex LC/MS/MS assay for urine opiates and metabolites.

PubMed

Dickerson, Jane A; Schmeling, Michael; Hoofnagle, Andrew N; Hoffman, Noah G

2013-01-16

Mass spectrometry provides a powerful platform for performing quantitative, multiplexed assays in the clinical laboratory, but at the cost of increased complexity of analysis and quality assurance calculations compared to other methodologies. Here we describe the design and implementation of a software application that performs quality control calculations for a complex, multiplexed, mass spectrometric analysis of opioids and opioid metabolites. The development and implementation of this application improved our data analysis and quality assurance processes in several ways. First, use of the software significantly improved the procedural consistency for performing quality control calculations. Second, it reduced the amount of time technologists spent preparing and reviewing the data, saving on average over four hours per run, and in some cases improving turnaround time by a day. Third, it provides a mechanism for coupling procedural and software changes with the results of each analysis. We describe several key details of the implementation including the use of version control software and automated unit tests. These generally useful software engineering principles should be considered for any software development project in the clinical lab. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 493.1407 - Standard; Laboratory director responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... developed and used for each of the tests performed in the laboratory provide quality laboratory services for... results are found to be unacceptable or unsatisfactory; (5) Ensure that the quality control and quality assessment programs are established and maintained to assure the quality of laboratory services provided and...

The relevance and use of mouse embryo bioassays for quality control in an assisted reproductive technology program.

PubMed

Scott, L F; Sundaram, S G; Smith, S

1993-09-01

To define both the limits of a mouse embryo bioassay for quality control in an assisted reproductive technology (ART) program and the areas where it can be effectively used. Embryos at the pronuclear and two-cell stage from three different strains of mice were used to assess the effectiveness of this assay for media quality control using five different media routinely used in ART. Pronuclear and two-cell embryos from CD-1 mice were used to test the ability of a mouse embryo bioassay to control for water quality, contaminants in the culture system, and fluctuations in the environmental conditions using a medium, culture system, and scoring technique that were optimized for this strain. The mouse embryo bioassay is not effective in differentiating media appropriate for supporting human embryo development since the development of mouse embryos in vitro is strain, stage, and media related. However, CD-1 embryos were shown to be sensitive to variations in water quality, pH, temperature, incubator conditions, and contaminants in the system when grown in a protein-free medium optimized for their development. Both total blastocyst number and the cell count in the blastocysts were affected. Pronuclear embryos were more sensitive to perturbations in the culture system than two-cell embryos. A mouse embryo bioassay can be effectively used as a means of quality control of water, chemicals, and contact materials and for technique standardization and training in an assisted reproduction program. All the conditions of the test should be defined, pronuclear embryos should be used, and the end point should be fully expanded blastocysts and/or cell numbers in these blastocysts where appropriate.

Further Development, Support and Enhancement of CONDUIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veronica, Moldoveanu; Levine, William S.

1999-01-01

From the first airplanes steered by handles, wheels, and pedals to today's advanced aircraft, there has been a century of revolutionary inventions, all of them contributing to flight quality. The stability and controllability of aircraft as they appear to a pilot are called flying or handling qualities. Many years after the first airplanes flew, flying qualities were identified and ranked from desirable to unsatisfactory. Later on engineers developed design methods to satisfy these practical criteria. CONDUIT, which stands for Control Designer's Unified Interface, is a modern software package that provides a methodology for optimization of flight control systems in order to improve the flying qualities. CONDUIT is dependent on an the optimization engine called CONSOL-OPTCAD (C-O). C-O performs multicriterion parametric optimization. C-O was successfully tested on a variety of control problems. The optimization-based computational system, C-O, requires a particular control system description as a MATLAB file and possesses the ability to modify the vector of design parameters in an attempt to satisfy performance objectives and constraints specified by the designer, in a C-type file. After the first optimization attempts on the UH-60A control system, an early interface system, named GIFCORCODE (Graphical Interface for CONSOL-OPTCAD for Rotorcraft Controller Design) was created.

Light Spectral Quality Effects on the Growth of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Nodal Cutttings in Vitro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Deborah A.; Weigel, Russell, C.; Wheeler, Raymond M.; Sager, John C.

1993-01-01

The effects of light spectral quality on the growth of in vitro nodal cutting of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars Norland, Superior, Kennebec, and Denali were examined. The different light spectra were provided by Vita-Lite fluorescent (VF) (a white light control), blue fluorescent (BF), red fluorescent (RF), low-pressure sodium (LPS), and a combination of low-pressure sodium plus cool-white fluorescent lamp (LPS/CWF). Results suggested that shoot morphologic development of in vitro grown potato plants can be controlled by controlling irradiant spectral quality.

HPLC for quality control of polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, P. R.; Sykes, G. F.

1979-01-01

High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) as a quality control tool for polyimide resins and prepregs are presented. A data base to help establish accept/reject criteria for these materials was developed. This work is intended to supplement, not replace, standard quality control tests normally conducted on incoming resins and prepregs. To help achieve these objectives, the HPLC separation of LARC-160 polyimide precursor resin was characterized. Room temperature resin aging effects were studied. Graphite reinforced composites made from fresh and aged resin were fabricated and tested to determine if changes observed by HPLC were significant.

Quality Attribute Techniques Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiam, Yin Kia; Zhu, Liming; Staples, Mark

The quality of software is achieved during its development. Development teams use various techniques to investigate, evaluate and control potential quality problems in their systems. These “Quality Attribute Techniques” target specific product qualities such as safety or security. This paper proposes a framework to capture important characteristics of these techniques. The framework is intended to support process tailoring, by facilitating the selection of techniques for inclusion into process models that target specific product qualities. We use risk management as a theory to accommodate techniques for many product qualities and lifecycle phases. Safety techniques have motivated the framework, and safety and performance techniques have been used to evaluate the framework. The evaluation demonstrates the ability of quality risk management to cover the development lifecycle and to accommodate two different product qualities. We identify advantages and limitations of the framework, and discuss future research on the framework.

Readings on Managing Organizational Quality

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

Produc- tivify Review, Autumn, 1985. VI. Acknow ledg- Ishikawa , Kaoru . Guide to Quality Control. Tokyo: Asian Productivity Organization.m ents 1976. We are...indebted to many people for the develop- Ishikawa , Kaoru What is Total Quality Con- ment of the ideas expressed in this paper. Chief trol?: The...Developed by Kaoru Ishikawa , this di- Yes agram breaks the causes into general categories like methods. .............. materials, machines, and man, and

Spirometry quality-control strategies in a multinational study of the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Pérez-Padilla, Rogelio; Vázquez-García, Juan Carlos; Márquez, María Nelly; Menezes, Ana Maria B

2008-08-01

We report the characteristics of a centralized spirometry quality-control program developed for a population-based survey of the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 5 cities: São Paulo, Brazil; México City, México; Montevideo, Uruguay; Santiago, Chile; and Caracas, Venezuela (the Latin American Project for the Investigation of Obstructive Lung Diseases [PLATINO]). We developed and used a 3-level quality-control system. Level 1: The spirometer used in the survey (EasyOne), gives quality-control messages to the user/clinician. All the spirometry technicians were trained by the same team, with the aim of meeting what became the 2005 spirometry quality criteria of the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS). Level 2: In each of the 5 cities a local supervisor identified poor-quality spirometries that needed to be repeated. Level 3: Once a week during the survey, all spirometry results were sent via e-mail to the study's quality-control center in México City for review and feedback. In the overall totals at the end of the study, 94% of the 5,315 subjects had spirometries that met the 1994 ATS quality criteria, and 89% met the 2005 ATS/ERS criteria. In their overall totals at the end of the study, 90% of the 64 spirometry technicians were successful in getting 86% of their subjects to meet the 1994 ATS criteria, and got 75% of their subjects to meet the 2005 ATS/ERS criteria. In the first 10 subjects they tested, 90% of the 64 spirometry technicians were successful in getting 70% of their subjects to meet the 1994 ATS criteria, and got 60% of their subjects to meet the 2005 ATS/ERS criteria. Standardization of equipment, training, and supervision of spirometry is essential in a multinational spirometry survey. Centralized quality control can be done via e-mail with good reliability and low cost.

Identifying models of delivery, care domains and quality indicators relevant to palliative day services: a scoping review protocol.

PubMed

O'Connor, Seán R; Dempster, Martin; McCorry, Noleen K

2017-05-16

With an ageing population and increasing numbers of people with life-limiting illness, there is a growing demand for palliative day services. There is a need to measure and demonstrate the quality of these services, but there is currently little agreement on which aspects of care should be used to do this. The aim of the scoping review will be to map the extent, range and nature of the evidence around models of delivery, care domains and existing quality indicators used to evaluate palliative day services. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) will be searched for evidence using consensus development methods; randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials; mixed methods; and prospective, longitudinal or retrospective case-control studies to develop or test quality indicators for evaluating palliative care within non-residential settings, including day hospices and community or primary care settings. At least two researchers will independently conduct all searches, study selection and data abstraction procedures. Meta-analyses and statistical methods of synthesis are not planned as part of the review. Results will be reported using numerical counts, including number of indicators in each care domain and by using qualitative approach to describe important indicator characteristics. A conceptual model will also be developed to summarise the impact of different aspects of quality in a palliative day service context. Methodological quality relating to indicator development will be assessed using the Appraisal of Indicators through Research and Evaluation (AIRE) tool. Overall strength of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Final decisions on quality assessment will be made via consensus between review authors. Identifying, developing and implementing evidence-based quality indicators is critical to the evaluation and continued improvement of palliative care. Review findings will be used to support clinicians and policymakers make decisions on which quality indicators are most appropriate for evaluating day services at the patient and service level, and to identify areas for further research.

A New Dual-purpose Quality Control Dosimetry Protocol for Diagnostic Reference-level Determination in Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Sohrabi, Mehdi; Parsi, Masoumeh; Sina, Sedigheh

2018-05-17

A diagnostic reference level is an advisory dose level set by a regulatory authority in a country as an efficient criterion for protection of patients from unwanted medical exposure. In computed tomography, the direct dose measurement and data collection methods are commonly applied for determination of diagnostic reference levels. Recently, a new quality-control-based dose survey method was proposed by the authors to simplify the diagnostic reference-level determination using a retrospective quality control database usually available at a regulatory authority in a country. In line with such a development, a prospective dual-purpose quality control dosimetry protocol is proposed for determination of diagnostic reference levels in a country, which can be simply applied by quality control service providers. This new proposed method was applied to five computed tomography scanners in Shiraz, Iran, and diagnostic reference levels for head, abdomen/pelvis, sinus, chest, and lumbar spine examinations were determined. The results were compared to those obtained by the data collection and quality-control-based dose survey methods, carried out in parallel in this study, and were found to agree well within approximately 6%. This is highly acceptable for quality-control-based methods according to International Atomic Energy Agency tolerance levels (±20%).

Fostering High-Quality Teaching with an Enriched Curriculum and Professional Development Support: The Head Start REDI Program

PubMed Central

Domitrovich, Celene E.; Gest, Scott D.; Gill, Sukhdeep; Bierman, Karen L.; Welsh, Janet; Jones, Damon

2017-01-01

This randomized controlled trial tested whether teaching quality in Head Start classrooms could be improved with the addition of evidence-based curriculum components targeting emergent language/literacy and social-emotional development and the provision of associated professional development support. Participants were lead and assistant teachers in 44 Head Start classrooms. Teachers received 4 days of workshop training along with weekly in-class support from a mentor teacher. End-of-year observations indicated that, compared to the control group, intervention teachers talked with children more frequently and in more cognitively complex ways, established a more positive classroom climate, and used more preventive behavior management strategies. Results supported the conclusion that enriched curriculum components and professional development support can produce improvements in multiple domains of teaching quality. PMID:29081534

Development of Real Time Implementation of 5/5 Rule based Fuzzy Logic Controller Shunt Active Power Filter for Power Quality Improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puhan, Pratap Sekhar; Ray, Pravat Kumar; Panda, Gayadhar

2016-12-01

This paper presents the effectiveness of 5/5 Fuzzy rule implementation in Fuzzy Logic Controller conjunction with indirect control technique to enhance the power quality in single phase system, An indirect current controller in conjunction with Fuzzy Logic Controller is applied to the proposed shunt active power filter to estimate the peak reference current and capacitor voltage. Current Controller based pulse width modulation (CCPWM) is used to generate the switching signals of voltage source inverter. Various simulation results are presented to verify the good behaviour of the Shunt active Power Filter (SAPF) with proposed two levels Hysteresis Current Controller (HCC). For verification of Shunt Active Power Filter in real time, the proposed control algorithm has been implemented in laboratory developed setup in dSPACE platform.

Analysis of air quality in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Kasim, Oluwasinaayomi Faith; Woldetisadik Abshare, Muluneh; Agbola, Samuel Babatunde

2017-12-07

Ambient air quality was monitored and analyzed to develop air quality index and its implications for livability and climate change in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Using survey research design, 16 georeferenced locations, representing different land uses, were randomly selected and assessed for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO),volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and meteorological parameters (temperature and relative humidity). The study found mean concentrations across all land uses for SO 2 of 0.37 ± 0.08 ppm, NO 2 of 0.13 ± 0.17 ppm, CO 2 of 465.65 ± 28.63 ppm, CO of 3.35 ± 2.04 ppm, and VOCs of 1850.67 ± 402 ppm. An air quality index indicated that ambient air quality for SO 2 was very poor, NO 2 ranged from moderate to very poor, whereas CO rating was moderate. Significant positive correlations existed between temperature and NO 2 , CO 2 , and CO and between humidity and VOCs. Significant relationships were also recorded between CO 2 and NO 2 and between CO and CO 2 . Poor urban planning, inadequate pollution control measure, and weak capacity to monitor air quality have implications for energy usage, air quality, and local meteorological parameters, with subsequent feedback into global climate change. Implementation of programs to monitor and control emissions in order to reduce air pollution will provide health, economic, and environmental benefits to the city. The need to develop and implement emission control programs to reduce air pollution in Dire Dawa City is urgent. This will provide enormous economic, health, and environmental benefits. It is expected that economic effects of air quality improvement will offset the expenditures for pollution control. Also, strategies that focus on air quality and climate change present a unique opportunity to engage different stakeholders in providing inclusive and sustainable development agenda for Dire Dawa.

A system identification approach for developing model predictive controllers of antibody quality attributes in cell culture processes

PubMed Central

Schmitt, John; Beller, Justin; Russell, Brian; Quach, Anthony; Hermann, Elizabeth; Lyon, David; Breit, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

As the biopharmaceutical industry evolves to include more diverse protein formats and processes, more robust control of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) is needed to maintain processing flexibility without compromising quality. Active control of CQAs has been demonstrated using model predictive control techniques, which allow development of processes which are robust against disturbances associated with raw material variability and other potentially flexible operating conditions. Wide adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical cell culture processes has been hampered, however, in part due to the large amount of data and expertise required to make a predictive model of controlled CQAs, a requirement for model predictive control. Here we developed a highly automated, perfusion apparatus to systematically and efficiently generate predictive models using application of system identification approaches. We successfully created a predictive model of %galactosylation using data obtained by manipulating galactose concentration in the perfusion apparatus in serialized step change experiments. We then demonstrated the use of the model in a model predictive controller in a simulated control scenario to successfully achieve a %galactosylation set point in a simulated fed‐batch culture. The automated model identification approach demonstrated here can potentially be generalized to many CQAs, and could be a more efficient, faster, and highly automated alternative to batch experiments for developing predictive models in cell culture processes, and allow the wider adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical processes. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1647–1661, 2017 PMID:28786215

Development and flight evaluation of an augmented stability active controls concept with a small horizontal tail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rising, J. J.; Kairys, A. A.; Maass, C. A.; Siegart, C. D.; Rakness, W. L.; Mijares, R. D.; King, R. W.; Peterson, R. S.; Hurley, S. R.; Wickson, D.

1982-01-01

A limited authority pitch active control system (PACS) was developed for a wide body jet transport (L-1011) with a flying horizontal stabilizer. Two dual channel digital computers and the associated software provide command signals to a dual channel series servo which controls the stabilizer power actuators. Input sensor signals to the computer are pitch rate, column-trim position, and dynamic pressure. Control laws are given for the PACS and the system architecture is defined. The piloted flight simulation and vehicle system simulation tests performed to verify control laws and system operation prior to installation on the aircraft are discussed. Modifications to the basic aircraft are described. Flying qualities of the aircraft with the PACS on and off were evaluated. Handling qualities for cruise and high speed flight conditions with the c.g. at 39% mac ( + 1% stability margin) and PACS operating were judged to be as good as the handling qualities with the c.g. at 25% (+15% stability margin) and PACS off.

Summary of the effects of engine throttle response on airplane formation-flying qualities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Kevin R.

1992-01-01

A flight evaluation as conducted to determine the effect of engine throttle response characteristics on precision formation-flying qualities. A variable electronic throttle control system was developed and flight-tested on a TF-104G airplane with a J79-11B engine at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. Ten research flights were flown to evaluate the effects of throttle gain, time delay, and fuel control rate limiting on engine handling qualities during a demanding precision wing formation task. Handling quality effects of lag filters and lead compensation time delays were also evaluated. Data from pilot ratings and comments indicate that throttle control system time delays and rate limits cause significant degradations in handling qualities. Threshold values for satisfactory (level 1) and adequate (level 2) handling qualities of these key variables are presented.

Mindcontrol: A web application for brain segmentation quality control.

PubMed

Keshavan, Anisha; Datta, Esha; M McDonough, Ian; Madan, Christopher R; Jordan, Kesshi; Henry, Roland G

2018-04-15

Tissue classification plays a crucial role in the investigation of normal neural development, brain-behavior relationships, and the disease mechanisms of many psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Ensuring the accuracy of tissue classification is important for quality research and, in particular, the translation of imaging biomarkers to clinical practice. Assessment with the human eye is vital to correct various errors inherent to all currently available segmentation algorithms. Manual quality assurance becomes methodologically difficult at a large scale - a problem of increasing importance as the number of data sets is on the rise. To make this process more efficient, we have developed Mindcontrol, an open-source web application for the collaborative quality control of neuroimaging processing outputs. The Mindcontrol platform consists of a dashboard to organize data, descriptive visualizations to explore the data, an imaging viewer, and an in-browser annotation and editing toolbox for data curation and quality control. Mindcontrol is flexible and can be configured for the outputs of any software package in any data organization structure. Example configurations for three large, open-source datasets are presented: the 1000 Functional Connectomes Project (FCP), the Consortium for Reliability and Reproducibility (CoRR), and the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) Collection. These demo applications link descriptive quality control metrics, regional brain volumes, and thickness scalars to a 3D imaging viewer and editing module, resulting in an easy-to-implement quality control protocol that can be scaled for any size and complexity of study. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citrus Quality Control: An NMR/MRI Problem-Based Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erhart, Sarah E.; McCarrick, Robert M.; Lorigan, Gary A.; Yezierski, Ellen J.

2016-01-01

An experiment seated in an industrial context can provide an engaging framework and unique learning opportunity for an upper-division physical chemistry laboratory. An experiment that teaches NMR/MRI through a problem-based quality control of citrus products was developed. In this experiment, using a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, students…

Stochastic Models of Quality Control on Test Misgrading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jianjun

Stochastic models are developed in this article to examine the rate of test misgrading in educational and psychological measurement. The estimation of inadvertent grading errors can serve as a basis for quality control in measurement. Limitations of traditional Poisson models have been reviewed to highlight the need to introduce new models using…

McGee Creek Drainage and Levee District, Illinois.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-04-01

J COUNTY MC GEE REEK DRAINAGE BLEVEE DISTRICT N~ i, 0. ~ I I LEGEND Co ,. 3 ~ . -~------~----EXISTING LEVEE _____________PROPOSED LEVEE...Development, Conservation, Environmental Protection Agency, Health, Institute for Environmental Quality, Mines and Minerals. Pollution Control Board...Protection Agency, Health, Institute for Environmental Quality, Mines and Minerals, Pollution Control Board, Registration and Education, Transportation

The Quality Control Circle: Is It for Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Land, Arthur J.

From its start in Japan after World War II, the Quality Control Circle (Q.C.) approach to management and organizational operation evolved into what it is today: people doing similar work meeting regularly to identify, objectively analyze, and develop solutions to problems. The Q.C. approach meets Maslow's theory of motivation by inviting…

Comparative mass spectrometry & nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic approaches for nutraceuticals quality control analysis: a brief review.

PubMed

Farag, Mohamed A

2014-01-01

The number of botanical dietary supplements in the market has recently increased primarily due to increased health awareness. Standardization and quality control of the constituents of these plant extracts is an important topic, particularly when such ingredients are used long term as dietary supplements, or in cases where higher doses are marketed as drugs. The development of fast, comprehensive, and effective untargeted analytical methods for plant extracts is of high interest. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry are the most informative tools, each of which enables high-throughput and global analysis of hundreds of metabolites in a single step. Although only one of the two techniques is utilized in the majority of plant metabolomics applications, there is a growing interest in combining the data from both platforms to effectively unravel the complexity of plant samples. The application of combined MS and NMR in the quality control of nutraceuticals forms the major part of this review. Finally I will look at the future developments and perspectives of these two technologies for the quality control of herbal materials.

Success, failures and costs of implementing standards in the USA--lessons for infection control.

PubMed

McGowan, J E

1995-06-01

In the US, extensive standards for performance and 'guidelines for practice' have been instituted by a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies. New governmental plans for health care depend heavily on practice guidelines, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has been especially enthusiastic about continuous quality improvement. Monitoring the appropriateness of care and altering physician practice appeals to insurance carriers and health care management organizations. Some initial data exist to show that the quality of health care has been enhanced by these regulations. The total cost for health care administration in 1990 in the USA was 24.8% of each hospital's spending for health care. Much of this was associated with spending for new initiatives in practice guidelines, physician profiling, quality assurance, and the like. Few data exist to show that the quality of health care or hospital infection control has been enhanced by these expenditures. Regulations and guidelines also have proliferated in infection control. Guides from the JCAHO have been expanded, and recent mandates from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) for protecting employees from blood-borne and respiratory pathogens promise to be especially costly for health care organizations to implement. Little data exist to show that the quality of infection control has been enhanced by these regulations. Standards are difficult to develop, because the science to back them up often is lacking, interpretation of validating data is imprecise, and inherent biological variation makes exceptions common. Seven lessons are important for those developing standards today. These include focusing on objective measures of the impact of the standard, clearly indicating the degree of scientific validity, making the development process inclusive, allowing for local variation, making sure that funding is provided for mandated standards, considering non-scientific implications of standards, and remaining involved in the process after the guideline is developed. Infection control workers should make sure that standards developed take the lessons above into account before they are promulgated.

The Individualized Quality Control Plan - Coming Soon to Clinical Microbiology Laboratories Everywhere!

PubMed

Anderson, Nancy

2015-11-15

As of January 1, 2016, microbiology laboratories can choose to adopt a new quality control option, the Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP), under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). This voluntary approach increases flexibility for meeting regulatory requirements and provides laboratories the opportunity to customize QC for their testing in their unique environments and by their testing personnel. IQCP is an all-inclusive approach to quality based on risk management to address potential errors in the total testing process. It includes three main steps, (1) performing a risk assessment, (2) developing a QC plan, and (3) monitoring the plan through quality assessment. Resources are available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Society for Microbiology, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, and accrediting organizations, such as the College of American Pathologists and Joint Commission, to assist microbiology laboratories implementing IQCP.

Development of concrete QC/QA specifications for highway construction in Kentucky.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-01

There is a growing trend toward quality-based specifications in highway construction. A large number of quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) specifications shift the responsibility of day-to-day testing from the state DOH to the contractor. This...

QUALITY SYSTEMS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR A PILOT STUDY OF CHILDREN'S TOTAL EXPOSURE TO PERSISTENT PESTICIDES AND OTHER PERSISTENT ORGANIC PESTICIDES (CTEPP)

EPA Science Inventory

The Quality System Implementation Plan (QSIP) describes the quality assurance and quality control procedures developed for the CTEPP study. It provides the QA/QC procedures used in recruitment of subjects, sample field collection, sample extraction and analysis, data storage, and...

Quality controls in cellular immunotherapies: rapid assessment of clinical grade dendritic cells by gene expression profiling.

PubMed

Castiello, Luciano; Sabatino, Marianna; Zhao, Yingdong; Tumaini, Barbara; Ren, Jiaqiang; Ping, Jin; Wang, Ena; Wood, Lauren V; Marincola, Francesco M; Puri, Raj K; Stroncek, David F

2013-02-01

Cell-based immunotherapies are among the most promising approaches for developing effective and targeted immune response. However, their clinical usefulness and the evaluation of their efficacy rely heavily on complex quality control assessment. Therefore, rapid systematic methods are urgently needed for the in-depth characterization of relevant factors affecting newly developed cell product consistency and the identification of reliable markers for quality control. Using dendritic cells (DCs) as a model, we present a strategy to comprehensively characterize manufactured cellular products in order to define factors affecting their variability, quality and function. After generating clinical grade human monocyte-derived mature DCs (mDCs), we tested by gene expression profiling the degrees of product consistency related to the manufacturing process and variability due to intra- and interdonor factors, and how each factor affects single gene variation. Then, by calculating for each gene an index of variation we selected candidate markers for identity testing, and defined a set of genes that may be useful comparability and potency markers. Subsequently, we confirmed the observed gene index of variation in a larger clinical data set. In conclusion, using high-throughput technology we developed a method for the characterization of cellular therapies and the discovery of novel candidate quality assurance markers.

COMP report: CPQR technical quality control guidelines for low-dose-rate permanent seed brachytherapy.

PubMed

Beaulieu, Luc; Radford, Dee-Ann; Eduardo Villarreal-Barajas, J

2018-03-14

The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP), in close partnership with the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) has developed a series of Technical Quality Control (TQC) guidelines for radiation treatment equipment. These guidelines outline the performance objectives that equipment should meet in order to ensure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. The TQC guidelines have been rigorously reviewed and field tested in a variety of Canadian radiation treatment facilities. The development process enables rapid review and update to keep the guidelines current with changes in technology. This article contains detailed performance objectives and safety criteria for low-dose-rate (LDR) permanent seed brachytherapy. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Economic production quantity model for items with continuous quality characteristic, rework and reject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsou, Jia-Chi; Hejazi, Seyed Reza; Rasti Barzoki, Morteza

2012-12-01

The economic production quantity (EPQ) model is a well-known and commonly used inventory control technique. However, the model is built on an unrealistic assumption that all the produced items need to be of perfect quality. Having relaxed this assumption, some researchers have studied the effects of the imperfect products on the inventory control techniques. This article, thus, attempts to develop an EPQ model with continuous quality characteristic and rework. To this end, this study assumes that a produced item follows a general distribution pattern, with its quality being perfect, imperfect or defective. The analysis of the model developed indicates that there is an optimal lot size, which generates minimum total cost. Moreover, the results show that the optimal lot size of the model equals that of the classical EPQ model in case imperfect quality percentage is zero or even close to zero.

Guidelines for preparation of the 1996 state water quality assessments (305(b) reports)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-05-01

The Federal Water Polluton Control Act (PL92-500, commonly known as the Clean Water Act), establishes a process for States to use to develop information on the quality of the Nation`s water resources and to report this information to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Congress, and the citizens of this country. Each State must develop a program to monitor the quality of its surface and ground waters and prepare a report every 2 years describing the status of its water quality. EPA compiles the data from the State reports, summarizes them, and transmits the summaries to Congress alongmore » with an analysis of the status of water quality nationwide. This process, referred to as the 305(b) process, is an essential aspect of the Nation`s water pollution control effort.« less

Development of an advanced pitch active control system for a wide body jet aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guinn, Wiley A.; Rising, Jerry J.; Davis, Walt J.

1984-01-01

An advanced PACS control law was developed for a commercial wide-body transport (Lockheed L-1011) by using modern control theory. Validity of the control law was demonstrated by piloted flight simulation tests on the NASA Langley visual motion simulator. The PACS design objective was to develop a PACS that would provide good flying qualities to negative 10 percent static stability margins that were equivalent to those of the baseline aircraft at a 15 percent static stability margin which is normal for the L-1011. Also, the PACS was to compensate for high-Mach/high-g instabilities that degrade flying qualities during upset recoveries and maneuvers. The piloted flight simulation tests showed that the PACS met the design objectives. The simulation demonstrated good flying qualities to negative 20 percent static stability margins for hold, cruise and high-speed flight conditions. Analysis and wind tunnel tests performed on other Lockheed programs indicate that the PACS could be used on an advanced transport configuration to provide a 4 percent fuel savings which results from reduced trim drag by flying at negative static stability margins.

A Machine Vision Quality Control System for Industrial Acrylic Fibre Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heleno, Paulo; Davies, Roger; Correia, Bento A. Brázio; Dinis, João

2002-12-01

This paper describes the implementation of INFIBRA, a machine vision system used in the quality control of acrylic fibre production. The system was developed by INETI under a contract with a leading industrial manufacturer of acrylic fibres. It monitors several parameters of the acrylic production process. This paper presents, after a brief overview of the system, a detailed description of the machine vision algorithms developed to perform the inspection tasks unique to this system. Some of the results of online operation are also presented.

Modal control theory and application to aircraft lateral handling qualities design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinathkumar, S.

1978-01-01

A multivariable synthesis procedure based on eigenvalue/eigenvector assignment is reviewed and is employed to develop a systematic design procedure to meet the lateral handling qualities design objectives of a fighter aircraft over a wide range of flight conditions. The closed loop modal characterization developed provides significant insight into the design process and plays a pivotal role in the synthesis of robust feedback systems. The simplicity of the synthesis algorithm yields an efficient computer aided interactive design tool for flight control system synthesis.

Flight simulator for hypersonic vehicle and a study of NASP handling qualities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ntuen, Celestine A.; Park, Eui H.; Deeb, Joseph M.; Kim, Jung H.

1992-01-01

The research goal of the Human-Machine Systems Engineering Group was to study the existing handling quality studies in aircraft with sonic to supersonic speeds and power in order to understand information requirements needed for a hypersonic vehicle flight simulator. This goal falls within the NASA task statements: (1) develop flight simulator for hypersonic vehicle; (2) study NASP handling qualities; and (3) study effects of flexibility on handling qualities and on control system performance. Following the above statement of work, the group has developed three research strategies. These are: (1) to study existing handling quality studies and the associated aircraft and develop flight simulation data characterization; (2) to develop a profile for flight simulation data acquisition based on objective statement no. 1 above; and (3) to develop a simulator and an embedded expert system platform which can be used in handling quality experiments for hypersonic aircraft/flight simulation training.

Double-quality control reveals high-level toxicity in gloves used for operator protection in assisted reproductive technology.

PubMed

Lierman, Sylvie; De Sutter, Petra; Dhont, Marc; Van der Elst, Josiane

2007-10-01

To submit different glove brands to double-quality control tests using mouse embryo assay (MEA) and the human sperm motility assay (HuSMA). Operator protection against infectious body fluid contamination is a safety issue in assisted reproductive technology (ART). When using gloves in the ART laboratory, toxic substances can be transmitted to culture media, even during brief contact. Quality control study of gloves in ART. University hospital-based infertility center. Seven- to 8-week-old female B6D2F1 hybrid mice. We tested two surgical, two cleanroom, and six examination glove brands. Only gloves brands that passed both HuSMA and MEA were submitted to further QC using zona-free and/or cryopreserved MEA. Sperm motility index, two-cell and blastocyst development, blastocyst total cell number. Quality control by MEA and HuSMA identified two glove brands to be nontoxic. Our study shows that gloves used in ART can be toxic and should be tested as part of an ongoing quality control program.

Applications of flight control system methods to an advanced combat rotorcraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tischler, Mark B.; Fletcher, Jay W.; Morris, Patrick M.; Tucker, George T.

1989-01-01

Advanced flight control system design, analysis, and testing methodologies developed at the Ames Research Center are applied in an analytical and flight test evaluation of the Advanced Digital Optical Control System (ADOCS) demonstrator. The primary objectives are to describe the knowledge gained about the implications of digital flight control system design for rotorcraft, and to illustrate the analysis of the resulting handling-qualities in the context of the proposed new handling-qualities specification for rotorcraft. Topics covered in-depth are digital flight control design and analysis methods, flight testing techniques, ADOCS handling-qualities evaluation results, and correlation of flight test results with analytical models and the proposed handling-qualities specification. The evaluation of the ADOCS demonstrator indicates desirable response characteristics based on equivalent damping and frequency, but undersirably large effective time-delays (exceeding 240 m sec in all axes). Piloted handling-qualities are found to be desirable or adequate for all low, medium, and high pilot gain tasks; but handling-qualities are inadequate for ultra-high gain tasks such as slope and running landings.

Software quality assurance | News

Science.gov Websites

Measure was removed: "Sufficient level of detail in the requirements to develop test cases." ; This control measure was removed since the sufficient level of detail needed to develop test cases is recorded for all test cases. (Note: This is mandatory for applications graded with a High Quality Assurance

Development, optimization and validation of gas chromatographic fingerprinting of Brazilian commercial diesel fuel for quality control.

PubMed

dos Santos, Bruno César Diniz Brito; Flumignan, Danilo Luiz; de Oliveira, José Eduardo

2012-10-01

A three-step development, optimization and validation strategy is described for gas chromatography (GC) fingerprints of Brazilian commercial diesel fuel. A suitable GC-flame ionization detection (FID) system was selected to assay a complex matrix such as diesel. The next step was to improve acceptable chromatographic resolution with reduced analysis time, which is recommended for routine applications. Full three-level factorial designs were performed to improve flow rate, oven ramps, injection volume and split ratio in the GC system. Finally, several validation parameters were performed. The GC fingerprinting can be coupled with pattern recognition and multivariate regressions analyses to determine fuel quality and fuel physicochemical parameters. This strategy can also be applied to develop fingerprints for quality control of other fuel types.

Governance matters: an ecological association between governance and child mortality

PubMed Central

Lin, Ro-Ting; Chien, Lung-Chang; Chen, Ya-Mei; Chan, Chang-Chuan

2014-01-01

Background Governance of a country may have widespread effects on the health of its population, yet little is known about the effect of governance on child mortality in a country that is undergoing urbanization, economic development, and disease control. Methods We obtained indicators of six dimensions of governance (perceptions of voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption) and national under-5 mortality rates for 149 countries between 1996 and 2010. We applied a semi-parametric generalized additive mixed model to examine associations after controlling for the effects of development factors (urbanization level and economy), disease control factors (hygienic conditions and vaccination rates), health expenditures, air quality, and time. Results Governance, development, and disease control showed clear inverse relations with the under-5 mortality rate (p<0.001). Per unit increases in governance, development, and disease control factors, the child mortality rate had a 0.901-, 0.823-, and 0.922-fold decrease, respectively, at fixed levels of the other two factors. Conclusions In the effort to reduce the global under-5 mortality rate, addressing a country's need for better governance is as important as improvements in development and disease control. PMID:24711600

Earth Observation Data Quality Monitoring and Control: A Case Study of STAR Central Data Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, W.; Jochum, M.

2017-12-01

Earth observation data quality is very important for researchers and decision makers involved in weather forecasting, severe weather warning, disaster and emergency response, environmental monitoring, etc. Monitoring and control earth observation data quality, especially accuracy, completeness, and timeliness, is very useful in data management and governance to optimize data flow, discover potential transmission issues, and better connect data providers and users. Taking a centralized near real-time satellite data repository, STAR (Center for Satellite Applications and Research of NOAA) Central Data Repository (SCDR), as an example, this paper describes how to develop new mechanism to verify data integrity, check data completeness, and monitor data latency in an operational data management system. Such quality monitoring and control of large volume satellite data help data providers and managers improve data transmission of near real-time satellite data, enhance its acquisition and management, and overcome performance and management issues to better serve research and development activities.

Comparing clinical quality indicators for asthma management in children with outcome measures used in randomised controlled trials: a protocol.

PubMed

Choong, Miew Keen; Tsafnat, Guy; Hibbert, Peter; Runciman, William B; Coiera, Enrico

2015-09-08

Clinical quality indicators are necessary to monitor the performance of healthcare services. The development of indicators should, wherever possible, be based on research evidence to minimise the risk of bias which may be introduced during their development, because of logistic, ethical or financial constraints alone. The development of automated methods to identify the evidence base for candidate indicators should improve the process of indicator development. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between clinical quality indicators for asthma management in children with outcome and process measurements extracted from randomised controlled clinical trial reports. National-level indicators for asthma management in children will be extracted from the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) database and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards. Outcome measures will be extracted from published English language randomised controlled trial (RCT) reports for asthma management in children aged below 12 years. The two sets of measures will be compared to assess any overlap. The study will provide insights into the relationship between clinical quality indicators and measurements in RCTs. This study will also yield a list of measurements used in RCTs for asthma management in children, and will find RCT evidence for indicators used in practice. Ethical approval is not necessary because this study will not include patient data. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A case study: application of statistical process control tool for determining process capability and sigma level.

PubMed

Chopra, Vikram; Bairagi, Mukesh; Trivedi, P; Nagar, Mona

2012-01-01

Statistical process control is the application of statistical methods to the measurement and analysis of variation process. Various regulatory authorities such as Validation Guidance for Industry (2011), International Conference on Harmonisation ICH Q10 (2009), the Health Canada guidelines (2009), Health Science Authority, Singapore: Guidance for Product Quality Review (2008), and International Organization for Standardization ISO-9000:2005 provide regulatory support for the application of statistical process control for better process control and understanding. In this study risk assessments, normal probability distributions, control charts, and capability charts are employed for selection of critical quality attributes, determination of normal probability distribution, statistical stability, and capability of production processes, respectively. The objective of this study is to determine tablet production process quality in the form of sigma process capability. By interpreting data and graph trends, forecasting of critical quality attributes, sigma process capability, and stability of process were studied. The overall study contributes to an assessment of process at the sigma level with respect to out-of-specification attributes produced. Finally, the study will point to an area where the application of quality improvement and quality risk assessment principles for achievement of six sigma-capable processes is possible. Statistical process control is the most advantageous tool for determination of the quality of any production process. This tool is new for the pharmaceutical tablet production process. In the case of pharmaceutical tablet production processes, the quality control parameters act as quality assessment parameters. Application of risk assessment provides selection of critical quality attributes among quality control parameters. Sequential application of normality distributions, control charts, and capability analyses provides a valid statistical process control study on process. Interpretation of such a study provides information about stability, process variability, changing of trends, and quantification of process ability against defective production. Comparative evaluation of critical quality attributes by Pareto charts provides the least capable and most variable process that is liable for improvement. Statistical process control thus proves to be an important tool for six sigma-capable process development and continuous quality improvement.

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT: CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR REMEDIAL ACTION AND REMEDIAL DESIGN WASTE CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

This Technical Guidance Document is intended to augment the numerous construction quality control and construction quality assurance (CQC and CQA) documents that are available far materials associated with waste containment systems developed for Superfund site remediation. In ge...

Global chemical profiling based quality evaluation approach of rhubarb using ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Liu, Haiyu; Qin, Lingling; Zhang, Zhixin; Wang, Qing; Zhang, Qingqing; Lu, Zhiwei; Wei, Shengli; Gao, Xiaoyan; Tu, Pengfei

2015-02-01

A global chemical profiling based quality evaluation approach using ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for the quality evaluation of three rhubarb species, including Rheum palmatum L., Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf., and Rheum officinale Baill. Considering that comprehensive detection of chemical components is crucial for the global profile, a systemic column performance evaluation method was developed. Based on this, a Cortecs column was used to acquire the chemical profile, and Chempattern software was employed to conduct similarity evaluation and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed R. tanguticum could be differentiated from R. palmatum and R. officinale at the similarity value 0.65, but R. palmatum and R. officinale could not be distinguished effectively. Therefore, a common pattern based on three rhubarb species was developed to conduct the quality evaluation, and the similarity value 0.50 was set as an appropriate threshold to control the quality of rhubarb. A total of 88 common peaks were identified by their accurate mass and fragmentation, and partially verified by reference standards. Through the verification, the newly developed method could be successfully used for evaluating the holistic quality of rhubarb. It would provide a reference for the quality control of other herbal medicines. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Moving from Control to Culture in Higher Education Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehlers, Ulf-Daniel

In this article, it is argued that quality development in higher education needs to go beyond the implementation of rules and processes for quality management purposes to improve the educational quality. Quality development has to rather focus on promoting a quality culture, which enables individual actors to continuously improve their profession. While this understanding of quality as part of the organizational culture gains more importance, there is still a lack of fundamental research and conceptual understanding of the phenomenon in itself. This article aims to lay the foundations for a comprehensive understanding of quality culture in organizations focusing on higher education. For this purpose, the state of the art in research on organizational culture is discussed and a model of quality culture is presented.

Computer graphics for quality control in the INAA of geological samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grossman, J.N.; Baedecker, P.A.

1987-01-01

A data reduction system for the routine instrumental activation analysis of samples is described, with particular emphasis on interactive graphics capabilities for evaluating analytical quality. Graphics procedures have been developed to interactively control the analysis of selected photopeaks during spectral analysis, and to evaluate detector performance during a given counting cycle. Graphics algorithms are also used to compare the data on reference samples with accepted values, to prepare quality control charts to evaluate long term precision and to search for systematic variations in data on reference samples as a function of time. ?? 1987 Akade??miai Kiado??.

Helicopter mathematical models and control law development for handling qualities research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Robert T. N.; Lebacqz, J. Victor; Aiken, Edwin W.; Tischler, Mark B.

1988-01-01

Progress made in joint NASA/Army research concerning rotorcraft flight-dynamics modeling, design methodologies for rotorcraft flight-control laws, and rotorcraft parameter identification is reviewed. Research into these interactive disciplines is needed to develop the analytical tools necessary to conduct flying qualities investigations using both the ground-based and in-flight simulators, and to permit an efficient means of performing flight test evaluation of rotorcraft flying qualities for specification compliance. The need for the research is particularly acute for rotorcraft because of their mathematical complexity, high order dynamic characteristics, and demanding mission requirements. The research in rotorcraft flight-dynamics modeling is pursued along two general directions: generic nonlinear models and nonlinear models for specific rotorcraft. In addition, linear models are generated that extend their utilization from 1-g flight to high-g maneuvers and expand their frequency range of validity for the design analysis of high-gain flight control systems. A variety of methods ranging from classical frequency-domain approaches to modern time-domain control methodology that are used in the design of rotorcraft flight control laws is reviewed. Also reviewed is a study conducted to investigate the design details associated with high-gain, digital flight control systems for combat rotorcraft. Parameter identification techniques developed for rotorcraft applications are reviewed.

The Early Development and Evolution of the QARTOD for In-Situ Wave Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchard, R. H.; Thomas, J.; Teng, C. C.; Burnett, W.; Castel, D.

2017-12-01

In 2013 the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Program Office issued manual was for the Real-Time Quality Control of In-Situ Surface Wave Data. This was one of the first Quality Assurance/Quality Control of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) manuals that now cover 11 different in situ measurements. This landmark document was the product of an effort initiated at a 2002 OCEANS.US workshop. The workshop identified and prioritized ocean variables with directional waves ranked as one of the highest key variables for inclusion into a national backbone of observations. The workshop was the impetus that led to the first QARTOD meeting in 2003 that involved over 80 participants and developed minimum standards for real-time observations. Over three more QARTOD meetings, two ad hoc meetings, and many hours of coordination and review involving dozens of wave measurement users and providers, consensus was reached on a list of essential "must Do's" for quality control tests that eventually formed the basis of the manual. The IOOS QARTOD manual established a standard format, provided greater detail, included codeable examples of the algorithms and established a framework for periodic reviews and updates. While the bulk of the quality control procedures originated with those being used by the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) and by NOAA's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), QARTOD also enlisted the expertise of federal, academic, and industry partners. CDIP and NDBC each operated more than 100 wave measuring buoys and had long histories of wave buoy measurements. In addition to buoy measurements, users and providers of fixed and bottom-mounted wave systems were also included. This paper examines the individual contributions, early developments, and the evolution of the QARTOD wave measurement efforts that culminated in the US IOOS manual. These efforts serve as an example of how individuals with a common interest and dedication can achieve results for the common good. Quality control algorithms of value, but not included in the essential list and further quality control advancements outside of the QARTOD will also be reviewed.

Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) through a professional development programme for early childhood educators to improve professional practice and child outcomes in the year before formal schooling: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Melhuish, Edward; Howard, Steven J; Siraj, Iram; Neilsen-Hewett, Cathrine; Kingston, Denise; de Rosnay, Marc; Duursma, Elisabeth; Luu, Betty

2016-12-19

A substantial research base documents the benefits of attendance at high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for positive behavioural and learning outcomes. Research has also found that the quality of many young children's experiences and opportunities in ECEC depends on the skills, dispositions and understandings of the early childhood adult educators. Increasingly, research has shown that the quality of children's interactions with educators and their peers, more than any other programme feature, influence what children learn and how they feel about learning. Hence, we sought to investigate the extent to which evidence-based professional development (PD) - focussed on promoting sustained shared thinking through quality interactions - could improve the quality of ECEC and, as a consequence, child outcomes. The Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) study is a cluster randomised controlled trial for evaluating the benefits of a professional development (PD) programme for early childhood educators, compared with no extra PD. Ninety long-day care and preschool centres in New South Wales, Australia, will be selected to ensure representation across National Quality Standards (NQS) ratings, location, centre type and socioeconomic areas. Participating centres will be randomly allocated to one of two groups, stratified by centre type and NQS rating: (1) an intervention group (45 centres) receiving a PD intervention or (2) a control group (45 centres) that continues engaging in typical classroom practice. Randomisation to these groups will occur after the collection of baseline environmental quality ratings. Primary outcomes, at the child level, will be two measures of language development: verbal comprehension and expressive vocabulary. Secondary outcomes at the child level will be measures of early numeracy, social development and self-regulation. Secondary outcomes at the ECEC room level will be measures of environmental quality derived from full-day observations. In all cases, data collectors will be blinded to group allocation. This is the first randomised controlled trial of a new approach to PD, which is focussed on activities previously found to be influential in children's early language, numeracy, social and self-regulatory development. Results should inform practitioners, policy-makers and families of the value of specific professional development for early childhood educators. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN) identifier ACTRN12616000536460 . Registered on 27 April 2016. This trial was retrospectively registered, given the first participant (centre) had been enrolled at the time of registration.

Kodak Skills Enhancement Program Curriculum: Math for Manufacturing and Quality Control. Report No. AEP-93-01.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaudin, Bart P.; And Others

This teacher's guide is intended for use in helping Kodak Corporation employees develop the basic mathematics skills required to perform the manufacturing and quality control tasks expected of them. The following topics are covered in the first five modules: the four basic functions (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing), calculations…

An Instructional Delivery System for Manpower Management: A Report for Water Pollution Control Agencies. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Albany.

This report contains information to assist organizations and personnel responsible for the quality and quantity of operators available for water quality control efforts. The text discusses in detail the current developments in operator instructional programs. Each of the seven sections of this report deals with a specific aspect of manpower…

[Establishment of industry promotion technology system in Chinese medicine secondary exploitation based on "component structure theory"].

PubMed

Cheng, Xu-Dong; Feng, Liang; Zhang, Ming-Hua; Gu, Jun-Fei; Jia, Xiao-Bin

2014-10-01

The purpose of the secondary exploitation of Chinese medicine is to improve the quality of Chinese medicine products, enhance core competitiveness, for better use in clinical practice, and more effectively solve the patient suffering. Herbs, extraction, separation, refreshing, preparation and quality control are all involved in the industry promotion of Chinese medicine secondary exploitation of industrial production. The Chinese medicine quality improvement and industry promotion could be realized with the whole process of process optimization, quality control, overall processes improvement. Based on the "component structure theory", "multi-dimensional structure & process dynamic quality control system" and systematic and holistic character of Chinese medicine, impacts of whole process were discussed. Technology systems of Chinese medicine industry promotion was built to provide theoretical basis for improving the quality and efficacy of the secondary development of traditional Chinese medicine products.

Polymerase Chain Reaction/Rapid Methods Are Gaining a Foothold in Developing Countries.

PubMed

Ragheb, Suzan Mohammed; Jimenez, Luis

Detection of microbial contamination in pharmaceutical raw materials and finished products is a critical factor to guarantee their safety, stability, and potency. Rapid microbiological methods-such as polymerase chain reaction-have been widely applied to clinical and food quality control analysis. However, polymerase chain reaction applications to pharmaceutical quality control have been rather slow and sporadic. Successful implementation of these methods in pharmaceutical companies in developing countries requires important considerations to provide sensitive and robust assays that will comply with good manufacturing practices. In recent years several publications have encouraged the application of molecular techniques in the microbiological assessment of pharmaceuticals. One of these techniques is polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The successful application of PCR in the pharmaceutical industry in developing countries is governed by considerable factors and requirements. These factors include the setting up of a PCR laboratory and the choice of appropriate equipment and reagents. In addition, the presence of well-trained analysts and establishment of quality control and quality assurance programs are important requirements. The pharmaceutical firms should take into account these factors to allow better chances for regulatory acceptance and wide application of this technique. © PDA, Inc. 2014.

SWiFT Software Quality Assurance Plan.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berg, Jonathan Charles

This document describes the software development practice areas and processes which contribute to the ability of SWiFT software developers to provide quality software. These processes are designed to satisfy the requirements set forth by the Sandia Software Quality Assurance Program (SSQAP). APPROVALS SWiFT Software Quality Assurance Plan (SAND2016-0765) approved by: Department Manager SWiFT Site Lead Dave Minster (6121) Date Jonathan White (6121) Date SWiFT Controls Engineer Jonathan Berg (6121) Date CHANGE HISTORY Issue Date Originator(s) Description A 2016/01/27 Jon Berg (06121) Initial release of the SWiFT Software Quality Assurance Plan

Development of an environmental chamber for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors under controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papapostolou, Vasileios; Zhang, Hang; Feenstra, Brandon J.; Polidori, Andrea

2017-12-01

A state-of-the-art integrated chamber system has been developed for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors. The system contains two professional grade chamber enclosures. A 1.3 m3 stainless-steel outer chamber and a 0.11 m3 Teflon-coated stainless-steel inner chamber are used to create controlled aerosol and gaseous atmospheres, respectively. Both chambers are temperature and relative humidity controlled with capability to generate a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is equipped with an integrated zero-air system, an ozone and two aerosol generation systems, a dynamic dilution calibrator, certified gas cylinders, an array of Federal Reference Method (FRM), Federal Equivalent Method (FEM), and Best Available Technology (BAT) reference instruments and an automated control and sequencing software. Our experiments have demonstrated that the chamber system is capable of generating stable and reproducible aerosol and gas concentrations at low, medium, and high levels. This paper discusses the development of the chamber system along with the methods used to quantitatively evaluate sensor performance. Considering that a significant number of academic and research institutions, government agencies, public and private institutions, and individuals are becoming interested in developing and using low-cost air quality sensors, it is important to standardize the procedures used to evaluate their performance. The information discussed herein provides a roadmap for entities who are interested in characterizing air quality sensors in a rigorous, systematic and reproducible manner.

Impact of service quality management (SQM) practices on Indian railways : study of South Central Railways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

The main objective of this study is to present a framework developed for assisting Railways to monitor and : control the quality of services provided to passengers. The study evaluated the passenger Rail Service quality of : Indian Railways by develo...

A system identification approach for developing model predictive controllers of antibody quality attributes in cell culture processes.

PubMed

Downey, Brandon; Schmitt, John; Beller, Justin; Russell, Brian; Quach, Anthony; Hermann, Elizabeth; Lyon, David; Breit, Jeffrey

2017-11-01

As the biopharmaceutical industry evolves to include more diverse protein formats and processes, more robust control of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) is needed to maintain processing flexibility without compromising quality. Active control of CQAs has been demonstrated using model predictive control techniques, which allow development of processes which are robust against disturbances associated with raw material variability and other potentially flexible operating conditions. Wide adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical cell culture processes has been hampered, however, in part due to the large amount of data and expertise required to make a predictive model of controlled CQAs, a requirement for model predictive control. Here we developed a highly automated, perfusion apparatus to systematically and efficiently generate predictive models using application of system identification approaches. We successfully created a predictive model of %galactosylation using data obtained by manipulating galactose concentration in the perfusion apparatus in serialized step change experiments. We then demonstrated the use of the model in a model predictive controller in a simulated control scenario to successfully achieve a %galactosylation set point in a simulated fed-batch culture. The automated model identification approach demonstrated here can potentially be generalized to many CQAs, and could be a more efficient, faster, and highly automated alternative to batch experiments for developing predictive models in cell culture processes, and allow the wider adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical processes. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1647-1661, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance on quality assurance in mental healthcare.

PubMed

Gaebel, W; Großimlinghaus, I; Heun, R; Janssen, B; Johnson, B; Kurimay, T; Montellano, P; Muijen, M; Munk-Jorgensen, P; Rössler, W; Ruggeri, M; Thornicroft, G; Zielasek, J

2015-03-01

To advance the quality of mental healthcare in Europe by developing guidance on implementing quality assurance. We performed a systematic literature search on quality assurance in mental healthcare and the 522 retrieved documents were evaluated by two independent reviewers (B.J. and J.Z.). Based on these evaluations, evidence tables were generated. As it was found that these did not cover all areas of mental healthcare, supplementary hand searches were performed for selected additional areas. Based on these findings, fifteen graded recommendations were developed and consented by the authors. Review by the EPA Guidance Committee and EPA Board led to two additional recommendations (on immigrant mental healthcare and parity of mental and physical healthcare funding). Although quality assurance (measures to keep a certain degree of quality), quality control and monitoring (applying quality indicators to the current degree of quality), and quality management (coordinated measures and activities with regard to quality) are conceptually distinct, in practice they are frequently used as if identical and hardly separable. There is a dearth of controlled trials addressing ways to optimize quality assurance in mental healthcare. Altogether, seventeen recommendations were developed addressing a range of aspects of quality assurance in mental healthcare, which appear usable across Europe. These were divided into recommendations about structures, processes and outcomes. Each recommendation was assigned to a hierarchical level of analysis (macro-, meso- and micro-level). There was a lack of evidence retrievable by a systematic literature search about quality assurance of mental healthcare. Therefore, only after further topics and search had been added it was possible to develop recommendations with mostly medium evidence levels. Evidence-based graded recommendations for quality assurance in mental healthcare were developed which should next be implemented and evaluated for feasibility and validity in some European countries. Due to the small evidence base identified corresponding to the practical obscurity of the concept and methods, a European research initiative is called for by the stakeholders represented in this Guidance to improve the educational, methodological and empirical basis for a future broad implementation of measures for quality assurance in European mental healthcare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Contribution au developpement d'une methode de controle des procedes dans une usine de bouletage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosselin, Claude

This thesis, a collaborative effort between Ecole de technologie superieure and ArcelorMittal Company, presents the development of a methodology for monitoring and quality control of multivariable industrial production processes. This innovation research mandate was developed at ArcelorMittal Exploitation Miniere (AMEM) pellet plant in Port-Cartier (Quebec, Canada). With this undertaking, ArcelorMittal is striving to maintain its world class level of excellence and continues to pursue initiatives that can augment its competitive advantage worldwide. The plant's gravimetric classification process was retained as a prototype and development laboratory due to its effect on the company's competitiveness and its impact on subsequent steps leading to final production of iron oxide pellets. Concretely, the development of this expertise in process control and in situ monitoring will establish a firm basic knowledge in the fields of complex system physical modeling, data reconciliation, statistical observers, multivariate command and quality control using real-time monitoring of the desirability function. The hydraulic classifier is mathematically modeled. Using planned disturbances on the production line, an identification procedure was established to provide empirical estimations of the model's structural parameters. A new sampling campaign and a previously unpublished data collection and consolidation policy were implemented plant-wide. Access to these invaluable data sources has enabled the establishment of new thresholds that govern the production process and its control. Finally, as a substitute for the traditional quality control process, we have implemented a new strategy based on the use of the desirability function. Our innovation is not in using this Finally, as a substitute for the traditional quality control process, we have implemented a new strategy based on the use of the desirability function. Our innovation is not in using this function as an indicator of overall (economic) satisfaction in the production process, but rather in proposing it as an "observer" of the system's state. The first implementation steps have already demonstrated the method's feasibility as well as other numerous industrial impacts on production processes within the company. Namely, the emergence of the economical aspect as a strategic variable that assures better governance of production processes where quality variables present strategic issues.

Quality Circles: An Innovative Program to Improve Military Hospitals

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-01

quality control. However, Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa is credited with starting the first "Quality Control Circles" and registering them with the Japanese Union of...McGregor and Abraham Maslow into a unique style of management. In 1962 Dr. Ishikawa , a professor at Tokyo University, developed the QC concept based on...RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions The QC concept has come a long way since Dr. Ishikawa gave it birth in 1962. It has left an enviable record of success along its

Neural Network based Control of SG based Standalone Generating System with Energy Storage for Power Quality Enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayar, Priya; Singh, Bhim; Mishra, Sukumar

2017-08-01

An artificial intelligence based control algorithm is used in solving power quality problems of a diesel engine driven synchronous generator with automatic voltage regulator and governor based standalone system. A voltage source converter integrated with a battery energy storage system is employed to mitigate the power quality problems. An adaptive neural network based signed regressor control algorithm is used for the estimation of the fundamental component of load currents for control of a standalone system with load leveling as an integral feature. The developed model of the system performs accurately under varying load conditions and provides good dynamic response to the step changes in loads. The real time performance is achieved using MATLAB along with simulink/simpower system toolboxes and results adhere to an IEEE-519 standard for power quality enhancement.

Quantification of histochemical stains using whole slide imaging: development of a method and demonstration of its usefulness in laboratory quality control.

PubMed

Gray, Allan; Wright, Alex; Jackson, Pete; Hale, Mike; Treanor, Darren

2015-03-01

Histochemical staining of tissue is a fundamental technique in tissue diagnosis and research, but it suffers from significant variability. Efforts to address this include laboratory quality controls and quality assurance schemes, but these rely on subjective interpretation of stain quality, are laborious and have low reproducibility. We aimed (1) to develop a method for histochemical stain quantification using whole slide imaging and image analysis and (2) to demonstrate its usefulness in measuring staining variation. A method to quantify the individual stain components of histochemical stains on virtual slides was developed. It was evaluated for repeatability and reproducibility, then applied to control sections of an appendix to quantify H&E staining (H/E intensities and H:E ratio) between automated staining machines and to measure differences between six regional diagnostic laboratories. The method was validated with <0.5% variation in H:E ratio measurement when using the same scanner for a batch of slides (ie, it was repeatable) but was not highly reproducible between scanners or over time, where variation of 7% was found. Application of the method showed H:E ratios between three staining machines varied from 0.69 to 0.93, H:E ratio variation over time was observed. Interlaboratory comparison demonstrated differences in H:E ratio between regional laboratories from 0.57 to 0.89. A simple method using whole slide imaging can be used to quantify and compare histochemical staining. This method could be deployed in routine quality assurance and quality control. Work is needed on whole slide imaging devices to improve reproducibility. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Quality assurance program requirements, Amendment 5 (9-26-79) to August 1973 issue

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This standard sets forth general requirements for planning, managing, conducting, and evaluating quality assurance programs for reactor development and test facility projects and associated processes, structures, components, and systems. These quality assurance requirements are based on proven practices and provide the means of control and verification whereby those responsible fo poject management can assure that the quality required for safe, reliable, and economical operation will be achieved. The objective of the program of the programs covered by this standard is to assure that structures, components, systems, and facilities are designed, developed, manufactured, constructed, operated, and maintained in compliance with establishedmore » engineering criteria. To achieve this objective, controls are to be established and implemented at predetermined points, and necessary action taken to prevent, detect, and correct any deficiencies.« less

Assuring Quality Control of Clinical Education in Multiple Clinical Affiliates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Judith A.

A plan was developed to assure equivalency of clinical education among the medical laboratory technician (MLT) programs affiliated with Sandhills Community College. The plan was designed by faculty to monitor the quality of clinical courses offered by the clinical affiliates. The major strategies were to develop competencies, slide/tape modules, a…

Higher Education Quality Assurance Organisations in Central and Eastern Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Temple, Paul; Billing, David

2003-01-01

This paper considers the development of intermediary, or buffer, bodies dealing with quality assurance in higher education in Central and Eastern Europe over the past 10 years. It relates these developments to the context of communist-era centralisation and control, and to more recent interventions by international aid agencies. The lessons that…

Software Quality Control at Belle II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, M.; Kuhr, T.; Hauth, T.; Gebard, T.; Kristof, M.; Pulvermacher, C.; Belle Software Group, II

2017-10-01

Over the last seven years the software stack of the next generation B factory experiment Belle II has grown to over one million lines of C++ and Python code, counting only the part included in offline software releases. There are several thousand commits to the central repository by about 100 individual developers per year. To keep a coherent software stack of high quality that it can be sustained and used efficiently for data acquisition, simulation, reconstruction, and analysis over the lifetime of the Belle II experiment is a challenge. A set of tools is employed to monitor the quality of the software and provide fast feedback to the developers. They are integrated in a machinery that is controlled by a buildbot master and automates the quality checks. The tools include different compilers, cppcheck, the clang static analyzer, valgrind memcheck, doxygen, a geometry overlap checker, a check for missing or extra library links, unit tests, steering file level tests, a sophisticated high-level validation suite, and an issue tracker. The technological development infrastructure is complemented by organizational means to coordinate the development.

Quality inspection of anisotropic scintillating lead tungstate (PbWO 4) crystals through measurement of interferometric fringe pattern parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocozzella, N.; Lebeau, M.; Majni, G.; Paone, N.; Rinaldi, D.

2001-08-01

Scintillating crystals are widely used as detectors in radiographic systems, computerized axial tomography devices and in calorimeters employed in high-energy physics. This paper results from a project motivated by the development of the CMS calorimeter at CERN, which will make use of a large number of scintillating crystals. In order to prevent crystals from breaking because of internal residual stress, a quality control system based on optic inspection of interference fringe patterns was developed. The principle of measurement procedures was theoretically modelled, and then a dedicated polariscope was designed and built, in order to observe the crystals under induced stresses or to evaluate the residual internal stresses. The results are innovative and open a new perspective for scintillating crystals quality control: the photoelastic constant normal to the optic axis of the lead tungstate crystals (PbWO 4) was measured, and the inspection procedure developed is applicable to mass production, not only to optimize the crystal processing, but also to establish a quality inspection procedure.

Quality engineering as a profession.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolb, Rachel R.; Hoover, Marcey L.

Over the course of time, the profession of quality engineering has witnessed significant change, from its original emphasis on quality control and inspection to a more contemporary focus on upholding quality processes throughout the organization and its product realization activities. This paper describes the profession of quality engineering, exploring how todays quality engineers and quality professionals are certified individuals committed to upholding quality processes and principles while working with different dimensions of product development. It also discusses the future of the quality engineering profession and the future of the quality movement as a whole.

Flying Quality Analysis of a JAS 39 Gripen Ministick Controller in an F/A-18 Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, John F.; Stoliker, P. C.

2000-01-01

NASA Dryden conducted a handling qualities experiment using a small displacement centerstick controller that Saab-Scania developed for the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft. The centerstick, or ministick, was mounted in the rear cockpit of an F/A-18 aircraft. Production support flight control computers (PSFCC) provided a pilot-selectable research control system. The objectives for this experiment included determining whether the mechanical characteristics of the centerstick controller had any significant effect on the handling qualities of the F/A-18, and determining the usefulness of the PSFCCs for this kind of experiment. Five pilots evaluated closed-loop tracking tasks, including echelon and column formation flight and target following. Cooper-Harper ratings and pilot comments were collected for each maneuver. This paper describes the test system, including the PSFCCs, the Gripen centerstick, and the flight test experiment. The paper presents results of longitudinal handling qualities maneuvers, including low order equivalent systems, Neal-Smith, and controls anticipation parameter analyses. The experiment showed that, while the centerstick controller provided a different aircraft feel, few handling qualities deficiencies resulted. It also demonstrated that the PSFCCs were useful for this kind of investigation.

A robot control formalism based on an information quality concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ekman, A.; Torne, A.; Stromberg, D.

1994-01-01

A relevance measure based on Jaynes maximum entropy principle is introduced. Information quality is the conjunction of accuracy and relevance. The formalism based on information quality is developed for one-agent applications. The robot requires a well defined working environment where properties of each object must be accurately specified.

7TH JAPAN - U.S. CONFERENCE ON DRINKING WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND WASTEWATER CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

Update on U.S. Drinking Water and Water Quality Research

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Office of Research and development continues to conduct drinking water and water quality related research to address high priority environmental problems. Curr...

Resources, Number 42. Some Highlights of 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resources for the Future, Inc., Washington, DC.

Reported are some significant events of 1972 related to the use and management of natural resources. Topics summarized include federal legislation for environmental quality; specific legislation for water quality; the development of state plans for achieving standards and controls related to air quality; population growth; land use and land…

Environmental Involvement. . . A Teacher's Guide (2nd Edition).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1971

Presented in this teacher's guide are ideas and projects to help students develop an awareness and appreciation of their environment. Sharpening the senses is emphasized through activities dealing with water quality, sound qualities, and noise, air quality, solid waste control, and soil management. The text is divided into four levels roughly…

[Preliminary studies on critical control point of traceability system in wolfberry].

PubMed

Liu, Sai; Xu, Chang-Qing; Li, Jian-Ling; Lin, Chen; Xu, Rong; Qiao, Hai-Li; Guo, Kun; Chen, Jun

2016-07-01

As a traditional Chinese medicine, wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) has a long cultivation history and a good industrial development foundation. With the development of wolfberry production, the expansion of cultivation area and the increased attention of governments and consumers on food safety, the quality and safety requirement of wolfberry is higher demanded. The quality tracing and traceability system of production entire processes is the important technology tools to protect the wolfberry safety, and to maintain sustained and healthy development of the wolfberry industry. Thus, this article analyzed the wolfberry quality management from the actual situation, the safety hazard sources were discussed according to the HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) and GAP (good agricultural practice for Chinese crude drugs), and to provide a reference for the traceability system of wolfberry. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Quality Controlling CMIP datasets at GFDL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horowitz, L. W.; Radhakrishnan, A.; Balaji, V.; Adcroft, A.; Krasting, J. P.; Nikonov, S.; Mason, E. E.; Schweitzer, R.; Nadeau, D.

2017-12-01

As GFDL makes the switch from model development to production in light of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), GFDL's efforts are shifted to testing and more importantly establishing guidelines and protocols for Quality Controlling and semi-automated data publishing. Every CMIP cycle introduces key challenges and the upcoming CMIP6 is no exception. The new CMIP experimental design comprises of multiple MIPs facilitating research in different focus areas. This paradigm has implications not only for the groups that develop the models and conduct the runs, but also for the groups that monitor, analyze and quality control the datasets before data publishing, before their knowledge makes its way into reports like the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Assessment Reports. In this talk, we discuss some of the paths taken at GFDL to quality control the CMIP-ready datasets including: Jupyter notebooks, PrePARE, LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl): technology-driven tracker system to monitor the status of experiments qualitatively and quantitatively, provide additional metadata and analysis services along with some in-built controlled-vocabulary validations in the workflow. In addition to this, we also discuss the integration of community-based model evaluation software (ESMValTool, PCMDI Metrics Package, and ILAMB) as part of our CMIP6 workflow.

Improved quality monitoring of multi-center acupuncture clinical trials in China

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background In 2007, the Chinese Science Division of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) convened a special conference to discuss quality control for TCM clinical research. Control and assurance standards were established to guarantee the quality of clinical research. This paper provides practical guidelines for implementing strict and reproducible quality control for acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods A standard quality control program (QCP) was established to monitor the quality of acupuncture trials. Case report forms were designed; qualified investigators, study personnel and data management personnel were trained. Monitors, who were directly appointed by the project leader, completed the quality control programs. They guaranteed data accuracy and prevented or detected protocol violations. Clinical centers and clinicians were audited, the randomization system of the centers was inspected, and the treatment processes were audited as well. In addition, the case report forms were reviewed for completeness and internal consistency, the eligibility and validity of the patients in the study was verified, and data was monitored for compliance and accuracy. Results and discussion The monitors complete their reports and submit it to quality assurance and the sponsors. Recommendations and suggestions are made for improving performance. By holding regular meetings to discuss improvements in monitoring standards, the monitors can improve quality and efficiency. Conclusions Supplementing and improving the existed guidelines for quality monitoring will ensure that large multi-centre acupuncture clinical trials will be considered as valid and scientifically stringent as pharmaceutical clinical trials. It will also develop academic excellence and further promote the international recognition of acupuncture. PMID:20035630

Development of a Premium Quality Plasma-derived IVIg (IQYMUNE®) Utilizing the Principles of Quality by Design-A Worked-through Case Study.

PubMed

Paolantonacci, Philippe; Appourchaux, Philippe; Claudel, Béatrice; Ollivier, Monique; Dennett, Richard; Siret, Laurent

2018-01-01

Polyvalent human normal immunoglobulins for intravenous use (IVIg), indicated for rare and often severe diseases, are complex plasma-derived protein preparations. A quality by design approach has been used to develop the Laboratoire Français du Fractionnement et des Biotechnologies new-generation IVIg, targeting a high level of purity to generate an enhanced safety profile while maintaining a high level of efficacy. A modular approach of quality by design was implemented consisting of five consecutive steps to cover all the stages from the product design to the final product control strategy.A well-defined target product profile was translated into 27 product quality attributes that formed the basis of the process design. In parallel, a product risk analysis was conducted and identified 19 critical quality attributes among the product quality attributes. Process risk analysis was carried out to establish the links between process parameters and critical quality attributes. Twelve critical steps were identified, and for each of these steps a risk mitigation plan was established.Among the different process risk mitigation exercises, five process robustness studies were conducted at qualified small scale with a design of experiment approach. For each process step, critical process parameters were identified and, for each critical process parameter, proven acceptable ranges were established. The quality risk management and risk mitigation outputs, including verification of proven acceptable ranges, were used to design the process verification exercise at industrial scale.Finally, the control strategy was established using a mix, or hybrid, of the traditional approach plus elements of the quality by design enhanced approach, as illustrated, to more robustly assign material and process controls and in order to securely meet product specifications.The advantages of this quality by design approach were improved process knowledge for industrial design and process validation and a clear justification of the process and product specifications as a basis for control strategy and future comparability exercises. © PDA, Inc. 2018.

Development and Exchange of Instructional Resources in Water Quality Control Programs, IV: Selecting Instructional Media and Instructional Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durham, W. Harry; And Others

This document is one of a series of reports which reviews instructional materials and equipment for water and wastewater treatment plant personnel. A system is presented to assist in standardizing the production of lesson plans and instructional materials in the water quality control field. A procedure for selecting appropriate instructional media…

Organic weed conrol and cover crop residue integration impacts on weed control, quality, and yield and economics in conservation tillage tomato - A case study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The increased use of conservation tillage in vegetable production requires more information be developed on the role of cover crops in weed control, tomato quality and yield. Three conservation-tillage systems utilizing crimson clover, brassica and cereal rye as winter cover crops were compared to ...

Flat conductor cable design, manufacture, and installation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angele, W.; Hankins, J. D.

1973-01-01

Pertinent information for hardware selection, design, manufacture, and quality control necessary for flat conductor cable interconnecting harness application is presented. Comparisons are made between round wire cable and flat conductor cable. The flat conductor cable interconnecting harness systems show major cost, weight, and space savings, plus increased system performance and reliability. The design application section includes electrical characteristics, harness design and development, and a full treatise on EMC considerations. Manufacturing and quality control sections pertain primarily to the developed conductor-contact connector system and special flat conductor cable to round wire cable transitions.

The consistency approach for quality control of vaccines - a strategy to improve quality control and implement 3Rs.

PubMed

De Mattia, Fabrizio; Chapsal, Jean-Michel; Descamps, Johan; Halder, Marlies; Jarrett, Nicholas; Kross, Imke; Mortiaux, Frederic; Ponsar, Cecile; Redhead, Keith; McKelvie, Jo; Hendriksen, Coenraad

2011-01-01

Current batch release testing of established vaccines emphasizes quality control of the final product and is often characterized by extensive use of animals. This report summarises the discussions of a joint ECVAM/EPAA workshop on the applicability of the consistency approach for routine release of human and veterinary vaccines and its potential to reduce animal use. The consistency approach is based upon thorough characterization of the vaccine during development and the principle that the quality of subsequent batches is the consequence of the strict application of a quality system and of a consistent production of batches. The concept of consistency of production is state-of-the-art for new-generation vaccines, where batch release is mainly based on non-animal methods. There is now the opportunity to introduce the approach into established vaccine production, where it has the potential to replace in vivo tests with non-animal tests designed to demonstrate batch quality while maintaining the highest quality standards. The report indicates how this approach may be further developed for application to established human and veterinary vaccines and emphasizes the continuing need for co-ordination and harmonization. It also gives recommendations for work to be undertaken in order to encourage acceptance and implementation of the consistency approach. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear Flying Qualities Criteria for Large-Amplitude Maneuvers

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

theory which are pertinent to the formation of a nonlinear flying qualities methodology. This report surveys nonlinear system theory and describes...the development of an applied flying qualities methodology based on a canonical system theory and using research in relative controllability...The Nonlinear Flying Qualities (NFQ) for Large-Amplitude Maneuvers Program examined promising techniques from nonlinear analysis and nonlinear system

Viral Evasion and Manipulation of Host RNA Quality Control Pathways

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Viruses have evolved diverse strategies to maximize the functional and coding capacities of their genetic material. Individual viral RNAs are often used as substrates for both replication and translation and can contain multiple, sometimes overlapping open reading frames. Further, viral RNAs engage in a wide variety of interactions with both host and viral proteins to modify the activities of important cellular factors and direct their own trafficking, packaging, localization, stability, and translation. However, adaptations increasing the information density of small viral genomes can have unintended consequences. In particular, viral RNAs have developed features that mark them as potential targets of host RNA quality control pathways. This minireview focuses on ways in which viral RNAs run afoul of the cellular mRNA quality control and decay machinery, as well as on strategies developed by viruses to circumvent or exploit cellular mRNA surveillance. PMID:27226372

Viral Evasion and Manipulation of Host RNA Quality Control Pathways.

PubMed

Hogg, J Robert

2016-08-15

Viruses have evolved diverse strategies to maximize the functional and coding capacities of their genetic material. Individual viral RNAs are often used as substrates for both replication and translation and can contain multiple, sometimes overlapping open reading frames. Further, viral RNAs engage in a wide variety of interactions with both host and viral proteins to modify the activities of important cellular factors and direct their own trafficking, packaging, localization, stability, and translation. However, adaptations increasing the information density of small viral genomes can have unintended consequences. In particular, viral RNAs have developed features that mark them as potential targets of host RNA quality control pathways. This minireview focuses on ways in which viral RNAs run afoul of the cellular mRNA quality control and decay machinery, as well as on strategies developed by viruses to circumvent or exploit cellular mRNA surveillance. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

[Discussion on research and development of new traditional Chinese medicine preparation process based on idea of QbD].

PubMed

Feng, Yi; Hong, Yan-Long; Xian, Jie-Chen; Du, Ruo-Fei; Zhao, Li-Jie; Shen, Lan

2014-09-01

Traditional processes are mostly adopted in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation production and the quality of products is mostly controlled by terminal. Potential problems of the production in the process are unpredictable and is relied on experience in most cases. Therefore, it is hard to find the key points affecting the preparation process and quality control. A pattern of research and development of traditional Chinese medicine preparation process based on the idea of Quality by Design (QbD) was proposed after introducing the latest research achievement. Basic theories of micromeritics and rheology were used to characterize the physical property of TCM raw material. TCM preparation process was designed in a more scientific and rational way by studying the correlation among enhancing physical property of raw material, preparation process and product quality of preparation. So factors affecting the quality of TCM production would be found out and problems that might occur in the pilot process could be predicted. It would be a foundation for the R&D and production of TCM preparation as well as support for the "process control" of TCMIs gradually realized in the future.

[Discussion on research thinking of traditional Chinese medicine standardization system based on whole process quality control].

PubMed

Dong, Ling; Sun, Yu; Pei, Wen-Xuan; Dai, Jun-Dong; Wang, Zi-Yu; Pan, Meng; Chen, Jiang-Peng; Wang, Yun

2017-12-01

The concept of "Quality by design" indicates that good design for the whole life cycle of pharmaceutical production enables the drug to meet the expected quality requirements. Aiming at the existing problems of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, the TCM standardization system was put forward in this paper from the national strategic level, under the guidance by the idea of quality control in international manufacturing industry and with considerations of TCM industry's own characteristics and development status. The connotation of this strategy was to establish five interrelated systems: multi-indicators system based on tri-indicators system, quality standard and specification system of TCM herbal materials and decoction pieces, quality traceability system, data monitoring system based on whole-process quality control, and whole-process quality management system of TCM, and achieve the whole process systematic and scientific study in TCM industry through "top-level design-implement in steps-system integration" workflow. This article analyzed the correlation between the quality standards of all links, established standard operating procedures of each link and whole process, and constructed a high standard overall quality management system for TCM industry chains, in order to provide a demonstration for the establishment of TCM whole-process quality control system and provide systematic reference and basis for standardization strategy in TCM industry. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Master Pump Shutdown MPS Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BEVINS, R.R.

2000-09-20

The MPSS Software Quality Assurance (SQAP) describes the tools and strategy used in the development of the MPSS software. The document also describes the methodology for controlling and managing changes to the software.

Erosion control and stormwater quality guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has the mission to "develop and maintain the best possible transportation system for Colorado." This mission includes the making of decisions which are compatible with Colorado's quality of life, envir...

Guidelines for software inspections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Quality control inspections are software problem finding procedures which provide defect removal as well as improvements in software functionality, maintenance, quality, and development and testing methodology is discussed. The many side benefits include education, documentation, training, and scheduling.

The comparison of perceived health-related quality of life between Australian children with severe specific language impairment to age and gender-matched peers.

PubMed

Nicola, Kristy; Watter, Pauline

2018-02-14

Children with specific language impairment often present with multiple comorbidities, which may adversely affect both participation in play and academic performance, potentially impacting a child's health-related quality of life. This study 1) explored the suitability of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL™) for use with a typically developing Australian control group, and 2) compared the health-related quality of life between a control group and Australian children with severe specific language impairment. Health-related quality of life data collected as part of a broader study of 43 children with severe specific language impairment (males = 35, age range 5-16, mean age = 8.79+/- 2.92) enrolled at a special school were used to explore previously unreported findings. Typically developing gender and age matched (+/- 3 months) peers were recruited from local schools. The PedsQL™ child self-report and proxy-report were individually or interviewer-administered to the control group as required, and then compared to the group with specific language impairment. The PedsQL™ was reliable and feasible for use with the control group (N = 43, males = 35, age range = 5-16 years, mean age = 8.74+/- 2.94 years). Control group performance was as expected as per the manual. Parents of the control group scored their children significantly higher than did the children themselves on all scales except the emotional functioning scale. Both the control group children and their parents scored themselves significantly higher on all scales, compared to children with severe specific language impairment and their parents. The PedsQL™ was suitable for use with the control group. Further, the recruitment of a control group provided additional clarity on the extent a severe specific language impairment impacts on an Australian child's perceived health-related quality of life, compared to the manual cut-off scores. Severe specific language impairment significantly impacts negatively on the health-related quality of life of Australian children across all domains, particularly when compared to an age and gender-matched group of peers. These results warrant the inclusion of health-related quality of life evaluations in the assessment of these children along with a multidisciplinary approach.

[Application of bioassay in quality control of Chinese materia medica-taking Radix Isatidis as an example].

PubMed

Yan, Dan; Ren, Yongshen; Luo, Jiaoyang; Li, Hanbing; Feng, Xue; Xiao, Xiaohe

2010-10-01

Bioassay, which construct the characteristics consistents with Chinese medical science, is the core mode and methods for the quality control of Chinese materia medica. Taking the bioassay of Radix Isatidis as an example, the contribution, status and application of bioassay in the quality control of Chinese materia medica were introduced in this article, and two key issue (the selection of reference and measurement methods) in the process of establishing bioassay were also explained. This article expects to provide a reference for the development and improvement of the bioassay of Chinese materia medica in a practical manipulation level.

High perfomance liquid chromatography fingerprint analysis for quality control of brotowali (Tinospora crispa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syarifah, V. B.; Rafi, M.; Wahyuni, W. T.

2017-05-01

Brotowali (Tinospora crispa) is widely used in Indonesia as ingredient of herbal medicine formulation. To ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicine products, its chemical constituents should be continuously evaluated. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint is one of powerful technique for this quality control process. In this study, HPLC fingerprint analysis method was developed for quality control of brotowali. HPLC analysis was performed in C18 column and detection was performed using photodiode array detector. The optimum mobile phase for brotowali fingerprint was acetonitrile (ACN) and 0.1% formic acid in gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The number of peaks detected in HPLC fingerprint of brotowali was 32 peaks and 23 peaks for stems and leaves, respectively. Berberine as marker compound was detected at retention time of 20.525 minutes. Evaluation of analytical performance including precision, reproducibility, and stability prove that this HPLC fingerprint analysis was reliable and could be applied for quality control of brotowali.

Control Systems Engineering in Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing May 20-21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

PubMed

Myerson, Allan S; Krumme, Markus; Nasr, Moheb; Thomas, Hayden; Braatz, Richard D

2015-03-01

This white paper provides a perspective of the challenges, research needs, and future directions for control systems engineering in continuous pharmaceutical processing. The main motivation for writing this paper is to facilitate the development and deployment of control systems technologies so as to ensure quality of the drug product. Although the main focus is on small-molecule pharmaceutical products, most of the same statements apply to biological drug products. An introduction to continuous manufacturing and control systems is followed by a discussion of the current status and technical needs in process monitoring and control, systems integration, and risk analysis. Some key points are that: (1) the desired objective in continuous manufacturing should be the satisfaction of all critical quality attributes (CQAs), not for all variables to operate at steady-state values; (2) the design of start-up and shutdown procedures can significantly affect the economic operation of a continuous manufacturing process; (3) the traceability of material as it moves through the manufacturing facility is an important consideration that can at least in part be addressed using residence time distributions; and (4) the control systems technologies must assure quality in the presence of disturbances, dynamics, uncertainties, nonlinearities, and constraints. Direct measurement, first-principles and empirical model-based predictions, and design space approaches are described for ensuring that CQA specifications are met. Ways are discussed for universities, regulatory bodies, and industry to facilitate working around or through barriers to the development of control systems engineering technologies for continuous drug manufacturing. Industry and regulatory bodies should work with federal agencies to create federal funding mechanisms to attract faculty to this area. Universities should hire faculty interested in developing first-principles models and control systems technologies for drug manufacturing that are easily transportable to industry. Industry can facilitate the move to continuous manufacturing by working with universities on the conception of new continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing process unit operations that have the potential to make major improvements in product quality, controllability, or reduced capital and/or operating costs. Regulatory bodies should ensure that: (1) regulations and regulatory practices promote, and do not derail, the development and implementation of continuous manufacturing and control systems engineering approaches; (2) the individuals who approve specific regulatory filings are sufficiently trained to make good decisions regarding control systems approaches; (3) provide regulatory clarity and eliminate/reduce regulatory risks; (4) financially support the development of high-quality training materials for use of undergraduate students, graduate students, industrial employees, and regulatory staff; (5) enhance the training of their own technical staff by financially supporting joint research projects with universities in the development of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and the associated control systems engineering theory, numerical algorithms, and software; and (6) strongly encourage the federal agencies that support research to fund these research areas. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Control systems engineering in continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. May 20-21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

PubMed

Myerson, Allan S; Krumme, Markus; Nasr, Moheb; Thomas, Hayden; Braatz, Richard D

2015-03-01

This white paper provides a perspective of the challenges, research needs, and future directions for control systems engineering in continuous pharmaceutical processing. The main motivation for writing this paper is to facilitate the development and deployment of control systems technologies so as to ensure quality of the drug product. Although the main focus is on small-molecule pharmaceutical products, most of the same statements apply to biological drug products. An introduction to continuous manufacturing and control systems is followed by a discussion of the current status and technical needs in process monitoring and control, systems integration, and risk analysis. Some key points are that: (1) the desired objective in continuous manufacturing should be the satisfaction of all critical quality attributes (CQAs), not for all variables to operate at steady-state values; (2) the design of start-up and shutdown procedures can significantly affect the economic operation of a continuous manufacturing process; (3) the traceability of material as it moves through the manufacturing facility is an important consideration that can at least in part be addressed using residence time distributions; and (4) the control systems technologies must assure quality in the presence of disturbances, dynamics, uncertainties, nonlinearities, and constraints. Direct measurement, first-principles and empirical model-based predictions, and design space approaches are described for ensuring that CQA specifications are met. Ways are discussed for universities, regulatory bodies, and industry to facilitate working around or through barriers to the development of control systems engineering technologies for continuous drug manufacturing. Industry and regulatory bodies should work with federal agencies to create federal funding mechanisms to attract faculty to this area. Universities should hire faculty interested in developing first-principles models and control systems technologies for drug manufacturing that are easily transportable to industry. Industry can facilitate the move to continuous manufacturing by working with universities on the conception of new continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing process unit operations that have the potential to make major improvements in product quality, controllability, or reduced capital and/or operating costs. Regulatory bodies should ensure that: (1) regulations and regulatory practices promote, and do not derail, the development and implementation of continuous manufacturing and control systems engineering approaches; (2) the individuals who approve specific regulatory filings are sufficiently trained to make good decisions regarding control systems approaches; (3) provide regulatory clarity and eliminate/reduce regulatory risks; (4) financially support the development of high-quality training materials for use of undergraduate students, graduate students, industrial employees, and regulatory staff; (5) enhance the training of their own technical staff by financially supporting joint research projects with universities in the development of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and the associated control systems engineering theory, numerical algorithms, and software; and (6) strongly encourage the federal agencies that support research to fund these research areas. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

QCloud: A cloud-based quality control system for mass spectrometry-based proteomics laboratories

PubMed Central

Chiva, Cristina; Olivella, Roger; Borràs, Eva; Espadas, Guadalupe; Pastor, Olga; Solé, Amanda

2018-01-01

The increasing number of biomedical and translational applications in mass spectrometry-based proteomics poses new analytical challenges and raises the need for automated quality control systems. Despite previous efforts to set standard file formats, data processing workflows and key evaluation parameters for quality control, automated quality control systems are not yet widespread among proteomics laboratories, which limits the acquisition of high-quality results, inter-laboratory comparisons and the assessment of variability of instrumental platforms. Here we present QCloud, a cloud-based system to support proteomics laboratories in daily quality assessment using a user-friendly interface, easy setup, automated data processing and archiving, and unbiased instrument evaluation. QCloud supports the most common targeted and untargeted proteomics workflows, it accepts data formats from different vendors and it enables the annotation of acquired data and reporting incidences. A complete version of the QCloud system has successfully been developed and it is now open to the proteomics community (http://qcloud.crg.eu). QCloud system is an open source project, publicly available under a Creative Commons License Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. PMID:29324744

An empirical evaluation of software quality assurance practices and challenges in a developing country: a comparison of Nigeria and Turkey.

PubMed

Sowunmi, Olaperi Yeside; Misra, Sanjay; Fernandez-Sanz, Luis; Crawford, Broderick; Soto, Ricardo

2016-01-01

The importance of quality assurance in the software development process cannot be overemphasized because its adoption results in high reliability and easy maintenance of the software system and other software products. Software quality assurance includes different activities such as quality control, quality management, quality standards, quality planning, process standardization and improvement amongst others. The aim of this work is to further investigate the software quality assurance practices of practitioners in Nigeria. While our previous work covered areas on quality planning, adherence to standardized processes and the inherent challenges, this work has been extended to include quality control, software process improvement and international quality standard organization membership. It also makes comparison based on a similar study carried out in Turkey. The goal is to generate more robust findings that can properly support decision making by the software community. The qualitative research approach, specifically, the use of questionnaire research instruments was applied to acquire data from software practitioners. In addition to the previous results, it was observed that quality assurance practices are quite neglected and this can be the cause of low patronage. Moreover, software practitioners are neither aware of international standards organizations or the required process improvement techniques; as such their claimed standards are not aligned to those of accredited bodies, and are only limited to their local experience and knowledge, which makes it questionable. The comparison with Turkey also yielded similar findings, making the results typical of developing countries. The research instrument used was tested for internal consistency using the Cronbach's alpha, and it was proved reliable. For the software industry in developing countries to grow strong and be a viable source of external revenue, software assurance practices have to be taken seriously because its effect is evident in the final product. Moreover, quality frameworks and tools which require minimum time and cost are highly needed in these countries.

Governance matters: an ecological association between governance and child mortality.

PubMed

Lin, Ro-Ting; Chien, Lung-Chang; Chen, Ya-Mei; Chan, Chang-Chuan

2014-09-01

Governance of a country may have widespread effects on the health of its population, yet little is known about the effect of governance on child mortality in a country that is undergoing urbanization, economic development, and disease control. We obtained indicators of six dimensions of governance (perceptions of voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption) and national under-5 mortality rates for 149 countries between 1996 and 2010. We applied a semi-parametric generalized additive mixed model to examine associations after controlling for the effects of development factors (urbanization level and economy), disease control factors (hygienic conditions and vaccination rates), health expenditures, air quality, and time. Governance, development, and disease control showed clear inverse relations with the under-5 mortality rate (p<0.001). Per unit increases in governance, development, and disease control factors, the child mortality rate had a 0.901-, 0.823-, and 0.922-fold decrease, respectively, at fixed levels of the other two factors. In the effort to reduce the global under-5 mortality rate, addressing a country's need for better governance is as important as improvements in development and disease control. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Quality Management Framework for Total Diet Study centres in Europe.

PubMed

Pité, Marina; Pinchen, Hannah; Castanheira, Isabel; Oliveira, Luisa; Roe, Mark; Ruprich, Jiri; Rehurkova, Irena; Sirot, Veronique; Papadopoulos, Alexandra; Gunnlaugsdóttir, Helga; Reykdal, Ólafur; Lindtner, Oliver; Ritvanen, Tiina; Finglas, Paul

2018-02-01

A Quality Management Framework to improve quality and harmonization of Total Diet Study practices in Europe was developed within the TDS-Exposure Project. Seventeen processes were identified and hazards, Critical Control Points and associated preventive and corrective measures described. The Total Diet Study process was summarized in a flowchart divided into planning and practical (sample collection, preparation and analysis; risk assessment analysis and publication) phases. Standard Operating Procedures were developed and implemented in pilot studies in five organizations. The flowchart was used to develop a quality framework for Total Diet Studies that could be included in formal quality management systems. Pilot studies operated by four project partners were visited by project assessors who reviewed implementation of the proposed framework and identified areas that could be improved. The quality framework developed can be the starting point for any Total Diet Study centre and can be used within existing formal quality management approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Handling Qualities Specifications for U.S. Military Helicopters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Key, David L.

1982-01-01

Inadequacies in the military specification for helicopter handling qualities, MIL-H-8501A, have long been recognized, and the latest procurements by the U.S. Army used special Prime Item Development Specifications (PIDS). This paper assesses the efficacy of these PIDS and suggests that changes should be made. In particular, the structure developed in MIL-F-8785B (ASG) (the specification for flying qualities of piloted airplanes) should be incorporated. Improved requirements must be based on a systematic data base and concentrated on topics most important in preliminary design: static and dynamic stability, control power and sensitivity, and interaction with controllers and displays. Emphasis should be on current military helicopter missions and helicopter idiosyncrasies such as cross-coupling, nonlinearities, and higher-order dynamics.

CONDUIT: A New Multidisciplinary Integration Environment for Flight Control Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tischler, Mark B.; Colbourne, Jason D.; Morel, Mark R.; Biezad, Daniel J.; Levine, William S.; Moldoveanu, Veronica

1997-01-01

A state-of-the-art computational facility for aircraft flight control design, evaluation, and integration called CONDUIT (Control Designer's Unified Interface) has been developed. This paper describes the CONDUIT tool and case study applications to complex rotary- and fixed-wing fly-by-wire flight control problems. Control system analysis and design optimization methods are presented, including definition of design specifications and system models within CONDUIT, and the multi-objective function optimization (CONSOL-OPTCAD) used to tune the selected design parameters. Design examples are based on flight test programs for which extensive data are available for validation. CONDUIT is used to analyze baseline control laws against pertinent military handling qualities and control system specifications. In both case studies, CONDUIT successfully exploits trade-offs between forward loop and feedback dynamics to significantly improve the expected handling, qualities and minimize the required actuator authority. The CONDUIT system provides a new environment for integrated control system analysis and design, and has potential for significantly reducing the time and cost of control system flight test optimization.

WELDSMART: A vision-based expert system for quality control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andersen, Kristinn; Barnett, Robert Joel; Springfield, James F.; Cook, George E.

1992-01-01

This work was aimed at exploring means for utilizing computer technology in quality inspection and evaluation. Inspection of metallic welds was selected as the main application for this development and primary emphasis was placed on visual inspection, as opposed to other inspection methods, such as radiographic techniques. Emphasis was placed on methodologies with the potential for use in real-time quality control systems. Because quality evaluation is somewhat subjective, despite various efforts to classify discontinuities and standardize inspection methods, the task of using a computer for both inspection and evaluation was not trivial. The work started out with a review of the various inspection techniques that are used for quality control in welding. Among other observations from this review was the finding that most weld defects result in abnormalities that may be seen by visual inspection. This supports the approach of emphasizing visual inspection for this work. Quality control consists of two phases: (1) identification of weld discontinuities (some of which may be severe enough to be classified as defects), and (2) assessment or evaluation of the weld based on the observed discontinuities. Usually the latter phase results in a pass/fail judgement for the inspected piece. It is the conclusion of this work that the first of the above tasks, identification of discontinuities, is the most challenging one. It calls for sophisticated image processing and image analysis techniques, and frequently ad hoc methods have to be developed to identify specific features in the weld image. The difficulty of this task is generally not due to limited computing power. In most cases it was found that a modest personal computer or workstation could carry out most computations in a reasonably short time period. Rather, the algorithms and methods necessary for identifying weld discontinuities were in some cases limited. The fact that specific techniques were finally developed and successfully demosntrated to work illustrates that the general approach taken here appears to be promising for commercial development of computerized quality inspection systems. Inspection based on these techniques may be used to supplement or substitute more elaborate inspection methods, such as x-ray inspections.

Quality-by-design III: application of near-infrared spectroscopy to monitor roller compaction in-process and product quality attributes of immediate release tablets.

PubMed

Kona, Ravikanth; Fahmy, Raafat M; Claycamp, Gregg; Polli, James E; Martinez, Marilyn; Hoag, Stephen W

2015-02-01

The objective of this study is to use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with multivariate chemometric models to monitor granule and tablet quality attributes in the formulation development and manufacturing of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP) immediate release tablets. Critical roller compaction process parameters, compression force (CFt), and formulation variables identified from our earlier studies were evaluated in more detail. Multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square (PLS) models were developed during the development stage and used as a control tool to predict the quality of granules and tablets. Validated models were used to monitor and control batches manufactured at different sites to assess their robustness to change. The results showed that roll pressure (RP) and CFt played a critical role in the quality of the granules and the finished product within the range tested. Replacing binder source did not statistically influence the quality attributes of the granules and tablets. However, lubricant type has significantly impacted the granule size. Blend uniformity, crushing force, disintegration time during the manufacturing was predicted using validated PLS regression models with acceptable standard error of prediction (SEP) values, whereas the models resulted in higher SEP for batches obtained from different manufacturing site. From this study, we were able to identify critical factors which could impact the quality attributes of the CIP IR tablets. In summary, we demonstrated the ability of near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics as a powerful tool to monitor critical quality attributes (CQA) identified during formulation development.

Summary of the effects of engine throttle response on airplane formation-flying qualities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, Kevin R.

1993-01-01

A flight evaluation was conducted to determine the effect of engine throttle response characteristics on precision formation-flying qualities. A variable electronic throttle control system was developed and flight-tested on a TF-104G airplane with a J79-11B engine at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. This airplane was chosen because of its known, very favorable thrust response characteristics. Ten research flights were flown to evaluate the effects of throttle gain, time delay, and fuel control rate limiting on engine handling qualities during a demanding precision wing formation task. Handling quality effects of lag filters and lead compensation time delays were also evaluated. The Cooper and Harper Pilot Rating Scale was used to assign levels of handling quality. Data from pilot ratings and comments indicate that throttle control system time delays and rate limits cause significant degradations in handling qualities. Threshold values for satisfactory (level 1) and adequate (level 2) handling qualities of these key variables are presented. These results may provide engine manufacturers with guidelines to assure satisfactory handling qualities in future engine designs.

Academic and Administrative Audit: A Parameter of Quality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitonde, Rohidas; Jadhav, B. U.

2015-01-01

Academic and Administrative Audit (AAA) is a system to control and maintain high standards in the field of Higher Education. It is playing vital role in providing quality education to the learners all over the world. In addition to the developed countries, even the developing as well as underdeveloped countries, are now-a-days coming forward in…

A bird’s-eye view: Land-use planning and assessments in Oregon and Washington

Treesearch

Marie Oliver; Andrew Gray

2015-01-01

Developing forest lands and agricultural lands for other uses has wide-ranging implications. Land development can affect production from forest and agricultural lands, wildlife habitat quality, the spread of invasive species, water quality, wildfire control, and infrastructure costs. In its attempts to mitigate these effects, Oregon implemented statewide land-use...

Relationships between growth, quality, and stocking within managed old-growth northern hardwoods

Treesearch

Chris Gronewold; Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik

2012-01-01

An understanding of long-term growth dynamics is central to the development of sustainable uneven-aged silvicultural systems for northern hardwood forests in eastern North America. Of particular importance are quantitative assessments of the relationships between stocking control and long-term growth and quality development. This study examined these relationships in a...

Intermittent Control Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Thomas L.; And Others

1975-01-01

The technique of intermittent control systems for air quality control as developed and used by the Tennessee Valley Authority is investigated. Although controversial, all Tennessee Valley Authority sulfur dioxide elimination programs are scheduled to be operational this year. Existing or anticipated intermittent control systems are identified. (BT)

Design and numerical evaluation of full-authority flight control systems for conventional and thruster-augmented helicopters employed in NOE operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perri, Todd A.; Mckillip, R. M., Jr.; Curtiss, H. C., Jr.

1987-01-01

The development and methodology is presented for development of full-authority implicit model-following and explicit model-following optimal controllers for use on helicopters operating in the Nap-of-the Earth (NOE) environment. Pole placement, input-output frequency response, and step input response were used to evaluate handling qualities performance. The pilot was equipped with velocity-command inputs. A mathematical/computational trajectory optimization method was employed to evaluate the ability of each controller to fly NOE maneuvers. The method determines the optimal swashplate and thruster input histories from the helicopter's dynamics and the prescribed geometry and desired flying qualities of the maneuver. Three maneuvers were investigated for both the implicit and explicit controllers with and without auxiliary propulsion installed: pop-up/dash/descent, bob-up at 40 knots, and glideslope. The explicit controller proved to be superior to the implicit controller in performance and ease of design.

Development of a Model Following Control Law for Inflight Simulation and Flight Controls Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Mark; Fletcher, Jay; Aiken, Edwin W. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

The U.S. Army and NASA are currently developing the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) at the Ames Research Center. RASCAL, shown in Figure 1, is a UH-60, which is being modified in a phased development program to have a research fly-by-wire flight control system, and an advanced navigation research platform. An important part of the flight controls and handling qualities research on RASCAL will be an FCS design for the aircraft to achieve high bandwidth control responses and disturbance rejection characteristics. Initially, body states will be used as feedbacks, but research into the use of rotor states will also be considered in later stages to maximize agility and maneuverability. In addition to supporting flight controls research, this FCS design will serve as the inflight simulation control law to support basic handling qualities, guidance, and displays research. Research in high bandwidth controls laws is motivated by the desire to improve the handling qualities in aggressive maneuvering and in severely degraded weather conditions. Naturally, these advantages will also improve the quality of the model following, thereby improving the inflight simulation capabilities of the research vehicle. High bandwidth in the control laws provides tighter tracking allowing for higher response bandwidths which can meet handling qualities requirements for aggressive maneuvering. System sensitivity is also reduced preventing variations in the response from the vehicle due to changing flight conditions. In addition, improved gust rejection will result from this reduced sensitivity. The gust rejection coupled with a highly stable system will make more precise maneuvering and pointing possible in severely degraded weather conditions. The difficulty in achieving higher bandwidths from the control laws in the feedback and in the responses arises from the complexity of the models that are needed to produce a satisfactory design. In this case, high quality models that include rotor dynamics in a physically meaningful context must be available. A non-physical accounting of the rotor, such as lumping the effect as a time delay, is not likely to produce the desired results. High order simulation models based on first principals are satisfactory for the initial design phase in order to work out the control law design concept and get an initial set of gains. These models, however, have known deficiencies, which must be resolved in the final control law design. The error in the pitch-roll cross coupling is one notable deficiency that even sophisticated rotorcraft models including complex wake aerodynamics have yet to capture successfully. This error must be accounted for to achieve the desired decoupling. The approach to design the proposed inflight simulation control law is based on using a combination of simulation and identified models. The linear and nonlinear higher order models were used to develop an explicit model following control structure. This structure was developed to accommodate the design of control laws compliant to many of the quantitative requirements in ADS-33C. Furthermore, it also allows for control law research using rotor-state feedback and other design methodologies such as Quantitative Feedback and H-Infinity. Final gain selection will be based on higher order identified models which include rotor degrees of freedom.

Housing choice and control, housing quality, and control over professional support as contributors to the subjective quality of life and community adaptation of people with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Nelson, Geoffrey; Sylvestre, John; Aubry, Tim; George, Lindsey; Trainor, John

2007-03-01

This research examined two premises of supported housing: (a) that consumer choice/control over housing and support and the quality of housing are important contributors to the subjective quality of life and adaptation to community living of people with mental illness, and (b) that apartments provide mental health consumers with more choice/control over housing and support than group living arrangements. To test these two hypotheses, we collected data from participants with mental illness housed through a government initiative in Ontario, Canada. A total of 130 participants completed a baseline interview, and 91 of those participants also completed a follow-up interview 9-months later. Support was found for both hypotheses. The results were discussed in terms of the paradigm of supported housing, previous research, and implications for housing policy and program development in the community mental health sector.

Role of technology in supporting quality control and treatment fidelity in a family caregiver clinical trial.

PubMed

Farran, Carol J; Etkin, Caryn D; McCann, Judith J; Paun, Olimpia; Eisenstein, Amy R; Wilbur, Joellen

2011-11-01

This article describes how a family caregiver lifestyle physical activity clinical trial uses research technology to enhance quality control and treatment fidelity. This trial uses a range of Internet, Blaise(®) Windows-based software and Echo Server technologies to support quality control issues, such as data collection, data entry, and study management advocated by the clinical trials literature, and to ensure treatment fidelity concerning intervention implementation (i.e., design, training, delivery, receipt, and enactment) as proposed by the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium. All research staff are trained to use these technologies. Strengths of this technological approach to support quality control and treatment fidelity include the comprehensive plan, involvement of all staff, and ability to maintain accurate and timely data. Limitations include the upfront time and costs for developing and testing these technological methods, and having support staff readily available to address technological issues if they occur.

Delay Discounting Mediates Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality and Risky Sexual Behavior for Low Self-Control Adolescents

PubMed Central

Kahn, Rachel E.; Holmes, Christopher; Farley, Julee P.; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

2015-01-01

Parent-adolescent relationship quality and delay discounting may play important roles in adolescents’ sexual decision making processes, and levels of self-control during adolescence could act as a buffer within these factors. This longitudinal study included 219 adolescent (55% male; mean age = 12.66 years at Wave 1; mean age = 15.10 years at Wave 2) and primary caregiver dyads. Structural equation modeling was utilized to determine whether delay discounting mediated the association between parent-adolescent relationship quality and adolescents’ risky sexual behavior and how this mediated association may differ between those with high versus low self-control. The results revealed parent-adolescent relationship quality plays a role in the development of risky sexual behavior indirectly through levels of delay discounting, but only for adolescents with low self-control. These findings could inform sex education policies and health prevention programs that address adolescent risky sexual behavior. PMID:26202153

Standardized methods and quality control limits for agar and broth microdilution susceptibility testing of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

PubMed

Waites, Ken B; Duffy, Lynn B; Bébéar, Cécile M; Matlow, Anne; Talkington, Deborah F; Kenny, George E; Totten, Patricia A; Bade, Donald J; Zheng, Xiaotian; Davidson, Maureen K; Shortridge, Virginia D; Watts, Jeffrey L; Brown, Steven D

2012-11-01

An international multilaboratory collaborative study was conducted to develop standard media and consensus methods for the performance and quality control of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum using broth microdilution and agar dilution techniques. A reference strain from the American Type Culture Collection was designated for each species, which was to be used for quality control purposes. Repeat testing of replicate samples of each reference strain by participating laboratories utilizing both methods and different lots of media enabled a 3- to 4-dilution MIC range to be established for drugs in several different classes, including tetracyclines, macrolides, ketolides, lincosamides, and fluoroquinolones. This represents the first multilaboratory collaboration to standardize susceptibility testing methods and to designate quality control parameters to ensure accurate and reliable assay results for mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas that infect humans.

[Evaluation of quality of HIV diagnostic procedures in Poland].

PubMed

Parczewski, Miłosz; Madaliński, Kazimierz; Leszczyszyn-Pynka, Magdalena; Boroń-Kaczmarska, Anna

2010-01-01

The aim of this work was quality assessment of HIV diagnostic procedures in Poland, including human and technical resources as well as laboratory practice. Sixty questionnaires were distributed among diagnostic centers to obtain qualitative data. Basing on the survey data serological control using coded panels of HIV-1/2 samples was performed. Thirty-one filled questionnaires were received (50.8%). Surveyed laboratories perform from 350 to 5500 serological screening tests per year. In most of laboratories fourth generation assays are available, while Blood Donation Centers screen the blood both with serological assays and by HIV-RNA detection. Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations and academic laboratories hold the ISO/IEC 17025 or IS0 9001:2001 accreditation, five of the surveyed centers participate in Labquality assurance and two in Quality Control in Molecular Diagnostics programs. Data of control serological testing were received from 21 centers. In the quality control assessment 194 analyses were performed with 91 true negative, 2 false negative, 96 true positive and 5 false positive results. False negative rate of % and false positive rate of 5.2% was noted for this study. Currently, virtually no guidelines related to the HIV-diagnostics quality assurance and control in Poland are in delineated. Development of the national unified quality control system, basing on the central institution is highly desirable. National certification within the frames of the quality control and assurance program should be mandatory for all the diagnostic labs, and aim at improvement of reliability of the result distributed among clinicians and patients.

Linking fish tolerance to water quality criteria for the assessment of environmental flows: A practical method for streamflow regulation and pollution control.

PubMed

Zhao, Changsen; Yang, Shengtian; Liu, Junguo; Liu, Changming; Hao, Fanghua; Wang, Zhonggen; Zhang, Huitong; Song, Jinxi; Mitrovic, Simon M; Lim, Richard P

2018-05-15

The survival of aquatic biota in stream ecosystems depends on both water quantity and quality, and is particularly susceptible to degraded water quality in regulated rivers. Maintenance of environmental flows (e-flows) for aquatic biota with optimum water quantity and quality is essential for sustainable ecosystem services, especially in developing regions with insufficient stream monitoring of hydrology, water quality and aquatic biota. Few e-flow methods are available that closely link aquatic biota tolerances to pollutant concentrations in a simple and practical manner. In this paper a new method was proposed to assess e-flows that aimed to satisfy the requirements of aquatic biota for both the quantity and quality of the streamflow by linking fish tolerances to water quality criteria, or the allowable concentration of pollutants. For better operation of water projects and control of pollutants discharged into streams, this paper presented two coefficients for streamflow adjustment and pollutant control. Assessment of e-flows in the Wei River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River, shows that streamflow in dry seasons failed to meet e-flow requirements. Pollutant influx exerted a large pressure on the aquatic ecosystem, with pollutant concentrations much higher than that of the fish tolerance thresholds. We found that both flow velocity and water temperature exerted great influences on the pollutant degradation rate. Flow velocity had a much greater influence on pollutant degradation than did the standard deviation of flow velocity. This study provides new methods to closely link the tolerance of aquatic biota to water quality criteria for e-flow assessment. The recommended coefficients for streamflow adjustment and pollutant control, to dynamically regulate streamflow and control pollutant discharge, are helpful for river management and ecosystems rehabilitation. The relatively low data requirement also makes the method easy to use efficiently in developing regions, and thus this study has significant implications for managing flows in polluted and regulated rivers worldwide. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Improving Quality of Elementary Music Programs through Common Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edele, Cameron

2011-01-01

Developing a music program based on quality curriculum is the key to success. The purpose of my research was to explore whether teachers used curriculum for quality control in an Elementary music program. Using student questionnaires, teacher interviews, and teacher observations I found that the music curriculum in each school was different. There…

Using TQM and ISO 9000 Principles in Assuring Education Service Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabashkin, Igor; Michnev, Boris; Utchin, Georgy

1998-01-01

Describes Riga Aviation University's movement from a controlled professional-education program to a system of contract relations with students as education service customers. Discusses a study of students' demands, requirements, and issues and the development of a quality assurance system based on Total Quality Management and ISO 9000 standards.…

The vaccines consistency approach project: an EPAA initiative.

PubMed

De Mattia, F; Hendriksen, C; Buchheit, K H; Chapsal, J M; Halder, M; Lambrigts, D; Redhead, K; Rommel, E; Scharton-Kersten, T; Sesardic, T; Viviani, L; Ragan, I

2015-01-01

The consistency approach for release testing of established vaccines promotes the use of in vitro, analytical, non-animal based systems allowing the monitoring of quality parameters during the whole production process. By using highly sensitive non-animal methods, the consistency approach has the potential to improve the quality of testing and to foster the 3Rs (replacement, refinement and reduction of animal use) for quality control of established vaccines. This concept offers an alternative to the current quality control strategy which often requires large numbers of laboratory animals. In order to facilitate the introduction of the consistency approach for established human and veterinary vaccine quality control, the European Partnership for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EPAA) initiated a project, the "Vaccines Consistency Approach Project", aiming at developing and validating the consistency approach with stakeholders from academia, regulators, OMCLs, EDQM, European Commission and industry. This report summarises progress since the project's inception.

Quality evaluation of Desmodium styracifolium using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhou, Chan; Luo, Jian-Guang; Kong, Ling-Yi

2012-01-01

Desmodium styracifolium, with C-flavone glycosides as main pharmacological effective compounds, is a popular Chinese medicinal herb and has been used to treat urination disturbance, urolithiasis, edema and jaundice. However, few systematic methods have been reported on the quality control of this natural herb. To develop a method for control the quality of D. styracifolium by combining chromatographic fingerprints and major constituent quantification. Separations were performed on an Ultimate XB-C-18 column by gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1% aqueous formic acid. Analytes were identified by HPLC coupled with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry experiments. Twenty common peaks in chromatographic fingerprints were first identified among 15 batches of D. styracifolium from various regions. On basis of this, a HPLC-PAD method was established to simultaneously quantify five major constituents, which was validated for limit of qualification, linearity and interday variation of precision and accuracy. The assay developed could be considered as a suitable quality control method of D. styracifolium. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The evolution of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs): from its beginnings in case-mix and resource use theory, to its implementation for payment and now for its current utilization for quality within and outside the hospital.

PubMed

Goldfield, Norbert

2010-01-01

Policymakers are searching for ways to control health care costs and improve quality. Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) are by far the most important cost control and quality improvement tool that governments and private payers have implemented. This article reviews why DRGs have had this singular success both in the hospital sector and, over the past 10 years, in ambulatory and managed care settings. Last, the author reviews current trends in the development and implementation of tools that have the key ingredients of DRG success: categorical clinical model, separation of the clinical model from payment weights, separate payment adjustments for nonclinical factors, and outlier payments. Virtually all current tools used to manage health care costs and improve quality do not have these characteristics. This failure explains a key reason for the failure, for example, of the Medicare Advantage program to control health care costs. This article concludes with a discussion of future developments for DRG-type models outside the hospital sector.

Quality evaluation of Yin Chen Hao Tang extract based on fingerprint chromatogram and simultaneous determination of five bioactive constituents.

PubMed

Wang, Xijun; Lv, Haitao; Sun, Hui; Jiang, Xingang; Wu, Zeming; Sun, Wenjun; Wang, Ping; Liu, Lian; Bi, Kaishun

2008-01-01

A completely validated method based on HPLC coupled with photodiode array detector (HPLC-UV) was described for evaluating and controlling quality of Yin Chen Hao Tang extract (YCHTE). First, HPLC-UV fingerprint chromatogram of YCHTE was established for preliminarily elucidating amount and chromatographic trajectory of chemical constituents in YCHTE. Second, for the first time, five mainly bioactive constituents in YCHTE were simultaneously determined based on fingerprint chromatogram for furthermore controlling the quality of YCHTE quantitatively. The developed method was applied to analyze 12 batches of YCHTE samples which consisted of herbal drugs from different places of production, showed acceptable linearity, intraday (RSD <5%), interday precision (RSD <4.80%), and accuracy (RSD <2.80%). As a result, fingerprint chromatogram determined 15 representative general fingerprint peaks, and the fingerprint chromatogram resemblances are all better than 0.9996. The contents of five analytes in different batches of YCHTE samples do not indicate significant difference. So, it is concluded that the developed HPLC-UV method is a more fully validated and complete method for evaluating and controlling the quality of YCHTE.

Regulation of assimilate partitioning by daylength and spectral quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britz, Steve J.

1994-01-01

The effects of daylength and spectral quality on assimilate partitioning and leaf carbohydrate content should be considered when conducting controlled environment experiments or comparing results between studies obtained under different lighting conditions. Changes in partitioning may indicate alterations to photoregulatory processes within the source leaf rather than disruptions in sink strength. Moreover, it may be possible to use photoregulatory responses of assimilate partitioning to probe mechanisms of growth and development involving translocation of carbon or adaptation to environmental factors such as elevated CO2. It may also be possible to steer assimilate partitioning for the benefit of controlled environment agriculture using energy-efficient manipulations such as daylength extensions with dim irradiances, end-of-day alterations in light quality, or shifting plants between different spectral qualities as a part of phasic control of growth and development. Note that high starch levels measured on a one-time basis provide little information, since it is the proportion of photosynthate stored as starch that is meaningful. Large differences in starch content can result from small changes in partitioning integrated over several days. Rate information is required.

Scater: pre-processing, quality control, normalization and visualization of single-cell RNA-seq data in R.

PubMed

McCarthy, Davis J; Campbell, Kieran R; Lun, Aaron T L; Wills, Quin F

2017-04-15

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is increasingly used to study gene expression at the level of individual cells. However, preparing raw sequence data for further analysis is not a straightforward process. Biases, artifacts and other sources of unwanted variation are present in the data, requiring substantial time and effort to be spent on pre-processing, quality control (QC) and normalization. We have developed the R/Bioconductor package scater to facilitate rigorous pre-processing, quality control, normalization and visualization of scRNA-seq data. The package provides a convenient, flexible workflow to process raw sequencing reads into a high-quality expression dataset ready for downstream analysis. scater provides a rich suite of plotting tools for single-cell data and a flexible data structure that is compatible with existing tools and can be used as infrastructure for future software development. The open-source code, along with installation instructions, vignettes and case studies, is available through Bioconductor at http://bioconductor.org/packages/scater . davis@ebi.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Design and Establishment of Quality Model of Fundamental Geographic Information Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, W.; Zhang, J.; Zhao, Y.; Zhang, P.; Dang, Y.; Zhao, T.

2018-04-01

In order to make the quality evaluation for the Fundamental Geographic Information Databases(FGIDB) more comprehensive, objective and accurate, this paper studies and establishes a quality model of FGIDB, which formed by the standardization of database construction and quality control, the conformity of data set quality and the functionality of database management system, and also designs the overall principles, contents and methods of the quality evaluation for FGIDB, providing the basis and reference for carry out quality control and quality evaluation for FGIDB. This paper designs the quality elements, evaluation items and properties of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database gradually based on the quality model framework. Connected organically, these quality elements and evaluation items constitute the quality model of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database. This model is the foundation for the quality demand stipulation and quality evaluation of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database, and is of great significance on the quality assurance in the design and development stage, the demand formulation in the testing evaluation stage, and the standard system construction for quality evaluation technology of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database.

HPTLC Fingerprint Analysis: A Quality Control for Authentication of Herbal Phytochemicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ram, Mauji; Abdin, M. Z.; Khan, M. A.; Jha, Prabhakar

Authentication and consistent quality are the basic requirement for Indian traditional medicine (TIM), Chinese traditional herbal medicine (TCHM), and their commercial products, regardless of the kind of research conducted to modernize the TIM and TCHM. The complexities of TIM and TCHM challenge the current official quality control mode, for which only a few biochemical markers were selected for identification and quantitative assay. Referring too many unknown factors existed in TIM and TCHM, it is impossible and unnecessary to pinpoint qualitatively and quantitatively every single component contained in the herbal drug. Chromatographic fingerprint is a rational option to meet the need for more effective and powerful quality assessment to TIM and TCHM. The optimized chromatographic fingerprint is not only an alternative analytical tool for authentication, but also an approach to express the various pattern of chemical ingredients distribution in the herbal drugs and preserve such "database" for further multifaced sustainable studies. Analytical separation techniques, for example, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) were among the most popular methods of choice used for quality control of raw material and finished herbal product. Fingerprint analysis approach using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) has become the most potent tool for quality control of herbal medicines because of its simplicity and reliability. It can serve as a tool for identification, authentication, and quality control of herbal drugs. In this chapter, attempts are being made to expand the use of HPTLC and at the same time create interest among prospective researcher in herbal analysis. The developed method can be used as a quality control tool for rapid authentication from a wide variety of herbal samples. Some examples demonstrated the role of fingerprinting in quality control and assessment.

A hard day's night: a longitudinal study on the relationships among job demands and job control, sleep quality and fatigue.

PubMed

de Lange, Annet H; Kompier, Michiel A J; Taris, Toon W; Geurts, Sabine A E; Beckers, Debby G J; Houtman, Irene L D; Bongers, Paulien M

2009-09-01

This prospective four-wave study examined (i) the causal direction of the longitudinal relations among job demands, job control, sleep quality and fatigue; and (ii) the effects of stability and change in demand-control history on the development of sleep quality and fatigue. Based on results of a four-wave complete panel study among 1163 Dutch employees, we found significant effects of job demands and job control on sleep quality and fatigue across a 1-year time lag, supporting the strain hypothesis (Demand-Control model; Karasek and Theorell, Basic Books, New York, 1990). No reversed or reciprocal causal patterns were detected. Furthermore, our results revealed that cumulative exposure to a high-strain work environment (characterized by high job demands and low job control) was associated with elevated levels of sleep-related complaints. Cumulative exposure to a low-strain work environment (i.e. low job demands and high job control) was associated with the highest sleep quality and lowest level of fatigue. Our results revealed further that changes in exposure history were related to changes in reported sleep quality and fatigue across time. As expected, a transition from a non-high-strain towards a high-strain job was associated with a significant increase in sleep-related complaints; conversely, a transition towards a non-high-strain job was not related to an improvement in sleep-related problems.

Using the scanning electron microscope on the production line to assure quality semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adolphsen, J. W.; Anstead, R. J.

1972-01-01

The use of the scanning electron microscope to detect metallization defects introduced during batch processing of semiconductor devices is discussed. A method of determining metallization integrity was developed which culminates in a procurement specification using the scanning microscope on the production line as a quality control tool. Batch process control of the metallization operation is monitored early in the manufacturing cycle.

Quality Control Analysis of Selected Aspects of Programs Administered by the Bureau of Student Financial Assistance. Task 1 and Quality Control Sample; Error-Prone Modeling Analysis Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saavedra, Pedro; And Others

Parameters and procedures for developing an error-prone model (EPM) to predict financial aid applicants who are likely to misreport on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) applications are introduced. Specifications to adapt these general parameters to secondary data analysis of the Validation, Edits, and Applications Processing Systems…

Impact of soil texture and water availability on the hydraulic control of plant and grape-berry development

Treesearch

Sara Tramontini; Cornelis van Leeuwen; Jean-Christophe Domec; Agnès Destrac-Irvine; Cyril Basteau; Marco Vitali; Olaf Mosbach-Schulz; Claudio Lovisolo

2013-01-01

All components of the soil-plant-atmosphere (s-p-a) continuum are known to control berry quality in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) via ecophysiological interactions between water uptake by roots and water loss by leaves. The scope of the present work was to explore how the main hydraulic components of grapevine influence fruit quality through changes...

Bioassay selection, experimental design and quality control/assurance for use in effluent assessment and control.

PubMed

Johnson, Ian; Hutchings, Matt; Benstead, Rachel; Thain, John; Whitehouse, Paul

2004-07-01

In the UK Direct Toxicity Assessment Programme, carried out in 1998-2000, a series of internationally recognised short-term toxicity test methods for algae, invertebrates and fishes, and rapid methods (ECLOX and Microtox) were used extensively. Abbreviated versions of conventional tests (algal growth inhibition tests, Daphnia magna immobilisation test and the oyster embryo-larval development test) were valuable for toxicity screening of effluent discharges and the identification of causes and sources of toxicity. Rapid methods based on chemiluminescence and bioluminescence were not generally useful in this programme, but may have a role where the rapid test has been shown to be an acceptable surrogate for a standardised test method. A range of quality assurance and control measures were identified. Requirements for quality control/assurance are most stringent when deriving data for characterising the toxic hazards of effluents and monitoring compliance against a toxicity reduction target. Lower quality control/assurance requirements can be applied to discharge screening and the identification of causes and sources of toxicity.

Electronic Noses and Tongues in Wine Industry

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Méndez, María L.; De Saja, José A.; González-Antón, Rocio; García-Hernández, Celia; Medina-Plaza, Cristina; García-Cabezón, Cristina; Martín-Pedrosa, Fernando

2016-01-01

The quality of wines is usually evaluated by a sensory panel formed of trained experts or traditional chemical analysis. Over the last few decades, electronic noses (e-noses) and electronic tongues have been developed to determine the quality of foods and beverages. They consist of arrays of sensors with cross-sensitivity, combined with pattern recognition software, which provide a fingerprint of the samples that can be used to discriminate or classify the samples. This holistic approach is inspired by the method used in mammals to recognize food through their senses. They have been widely applied to the analysis of wines, including quality control, aging control, or the detection of fraudulence, among others. In this paper, the current status of research and development in the field of e-noses and tongues applied to the analysis of wines is reviewed. Their potential applications in the wine industry are described. The review ends with a final comment about expected future developments. PMID:27826547

The method of quality marker research and quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine based on drug properties and effect characteristics.

PubMed

Zhang, Tiejun; Bai, Gang; Han, Yanqi; Xu, Jun; Gong, Suxiao; Li, Yazhuo; Zhang, Hongbing; Liu, Changxiao

2018-05-15

Quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a critical role in industry of TCM. Rapid development of TCM pharmaceutical areas is, however, greatly limited, since there are many issues not been resolved, concerning the quality study of TCM. Core concept of TCM quality as well as the characteristics of TCM was discussed, in order to guide the quality research and evaluation of TCM, further improve the level of TCM quality control. In this review, on the basis of systematic analysis of fundamental property and features of TCM in clinical application, the approaches and methods of quality marker (Q-marker) study were proposed through combination of transitivity and traceability of essentials of quality, correlation between chemical ingredients and drug property/efficacy, as well as analysis of endemicity of ingredients sharing similar pharmacophylogenetic and biosynthetic approaches. The approaches and methods of Q-marker study were proposed and the novel integrated pattern for quality assessment and control of TCM was established. The core concept of Q-marker has helped to break through the bottleneck of the current fragmented quality research of TCM and improved the scientificity, integrity and systematicness of quality control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A conceptual ground-water-quality monitoring network for San Fernando Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Setmire, J.G.

1985-01-01

A conceptual groundwater-quality monitoring network was developed for San Fernando Valley to provide the California State Water Resources Control Board with an integrated, basinwide control system to monitor the quality of groundwater. The geology, occurrence and movement of groundwater, land use, background water quality, and potential sources of pollution were described and then considered in designing the conceptual monitoring network. The network was designed to monitor major known and potential point and nonpoint sources of groundwater contamination over time. The network is composed of 291 sites where wells are needed to define the groundwater quality. The ideal network includes four specific-purpose networks to monitor (1) ambient water quality, (2) nonpoint sources of pollution, (3) point sources of pollution, and (4) line sources of pollution. (USGS)

Air quality management in China: issues, challenges, and options.

PubMed

Wang, Shuxiao; Hao, Jiming

2012-01-01

This article analyzed the control progress and current status of air quality, identified the major air pollution issues and challenges in future, proposed the long-term air pollution control targets, and suggested the options for better air quality in China. With the continuing growth of economy in the next 10-15 years, China will face a more severe situation of energy consumption, electricity generation and vehicle population leading to increase in multiple pollutant emissions. Controlling regional air pollution especially fine particles and ozone, as well as lowering carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption will be a big challenge for the country. To protect public health and the eco-system, the ambient air quality in all Chinese cities shall attain the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and ambient air quality guideline values set by the World Health Organization (WHO). To achieve the air quality targets, the emissions of SO2, NOx, PM10, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) should decrease by 60%, 40%, 50%, and 40%, respectively, on the basis of that in 2005. A comprehensive control policy focusing on multiple pollutants and emission sources at both the local and regional levels was proposed to mitigate the regional air pollution issue in China. The options include development of clean energy resources, promotion of clean and efficient coal use, enhancement of vehicle pollution control, implementation of synchronous control of multiple pollutants including SO2, NOx, VOC, and PM emissions, joint prevention and control of regional air pollution, and application of climate friendly air pollution control measures.

An integrated bioanalytical method development and validation approach: case studies.

PubMed

Xue, Y-J; Melo, Brian; Vallejo, Martha; Zhao, Yuwen; Tang, Lina; Chen, Yuan-Shek; Keller, Karin M

2012-10-01

We proposed an integrated bioanalytical method development and validation approach: (1) method screening based on analyte's physicochemical properties and metabolism information to determine the most appropriate extraction/analysis conditions; (2) preliminary stability evaluation using both quality control and incurred samples to establish sample collection, storage and processing conditions; (3) mock validation to examine method accuracy and precision and incurred sample reproducibility; and (4) method validation to confirm the results obtained during method development. This integrated approach was applied to the determination of compound I in rat plasma and compound II in rat and dog plasma. The effectiveness of the approach was demonstrated by the superior quality of three method validations: (1) a zero run failure rate; (2) >93% of quality control results within 10% of nominal values; and (3) 99% incurred sample within 9.2% of the original values. In addition, rat and dog plasma methods for compound II were successfully applied to analyze more than 900 plasma samples obtained from Investigational New Drug (IND) toxicology studies in rats and dogs with near perfect results: (1) a zero run failure rate; (2) excellent accuracy and precision for standards and quality controls; and (3) 98% incurred samples within 15% of the original values. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DoD Veterinary Service Activity Role in DoD Food Safety.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

medical research and development; zoonotic disease prevention and control; and food safety and quality assurance. The latter mission is not all encompassing...within DoD. This paper reviews the division of responsibilities, within DoD, for food safety and quality assurance. The complexity of the division...and the problem it causes joint operations planners are explored. A proposal for integrating overall strategic responsibility for food safety and quality assurance into the DoD Veterinary Service Activity is developed.

School Quality and the Development of Cognitive Skills between Age Four and Six

PubMed Central

Borghans, Lex; Golsteyn, Bart H. H.; Zölitz, Ulf

2015-01-01

This paper studies the extent to which young children develop their cognitive ability in high and low quality schools. We use a representative panel data set containing cognitive test scores of 4-6 year olds in Dutch schools. School quality is measured by the school’s average achievement test score at age 12. Our results indicate that children in high-quality schools develop their skills substantially faster than those in low-quality schools. The results remain robust to the inclusion of initial ability, parental background, and neighborhood controls. Moreover, using proximity to higher-achieving schools as an instrument for school choice corroborates the results. The robustness of the results points toward a causal interpretation, although it is not possible to erase all doubt about unobserved confounding factors. PMID:26182123

In-situ quality monitoring during laser brazing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ungers, Michael; Fecker, Daniel; Frank, Sascha; Donst, Dmitri; Märgner, Volker; Abels, Peter; Kaierle, Stefan

Laser brazing of zinc coated steel is a widely established manufacturing process in the automotive sector, where high quality requirements must be fulfilled. The strength, impermeablitiy and surface appearance of the joint are particularly important for judging its quality. The development of an on-line quality control system is highly desired by the industry. This paper presents recent works on the development of such a system, which consists of two cameras operating in different spectral ranges. For the evaluation of the system, seam imperfections are created artificially during experiments. Finally image processing algorithms for monitoring process parameters based the captured images are presented.

Assessing Subjectivity in Sensor Data Post Processing via a Controlled Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, A. S.; Horsburgh, J. S.; Eiriksson, D.

2017-12-01

Environmental data collected by in situ sensors must be reviewed to verify validity, and conducting quality control often requires making edits in post processing to generate approved datasets. This process involves decisions by technicians, data managers, or data users on how to handle problematic data. Options include: removing data from a series, retaining data with annotations, and altering data based on algorithms related to adjacent data points or the patterns of data at other locations or of other variables. Ideally, given the same dataset and the same quality control guidelines, multiple data quality control technicians would make the same decisions in data post processing. However, despite the development and implementation of guidelines aimed to ensure consistent quality control procedures, we have faced ambiguity when performing post processing, and we have noticed inconsistencies in the practices of individuals performing quality control post processing. Technicians with the same level of training and using the same input datasets may produce different results, affecting the overall quality and comparability of finished data products. Different results may also be produced by technicians that do not have the same level of training. In order to assess the effect of subjective decision making by the individual technician on the end data product, we designed an experiment where multiple users performed quality control post processing on the same datasets using a consistent set of guidelines, field notes, and tools. We also assessed the effect of technician experience and training by conducting the same procedures with a group of novices unfamiliar with the data and the quality control process and compared their results to those generated by a group of more experienced technicians. In this presentation, we report our observations of the degree of subjectivity in sensor data post processing, assessing and quantifying the impacts of individual technician as well as technician experience on quality controlled data products.

STOVL Control Integration Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, C.; Mcdowell, P.; Watts, S.

1994-01-01

An integrated flight/propulsion control for an advanced vector thrust supersonic STOVL aircraft, was developed by Pratt & Whitney and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace East. The IFPC design was based upon the partitioning of the global requirements into flight control and propulsion control requirements. To validate the design, aircraft and engine models were also developed for use on a NASA Ames piloted simulator. Different flight control implementations, evaluated for their handling qualities, are documented in the report along with the propulsion control, engine model, and aircraft model.

Real-time feedback control of twin-screw wet granulation based on image analysis.

PubMed

Madarász, Lajos; Nagy, Zsombor Kristóf; Hoffer, István; Szabó, Barnabás; Csontos, István; Pataki, Hajnalka; Démuth, Balázs; Szabó, Bence; Csorba, Kristóf; Marosi, György

2018-06-04

The present paper reports the first dynamic image analysis-based feedback control of continuous twin-screw wet granulation process. Granulation of the blend of lactose and starch was selected as a model process. The size and size distribution of the obtained particles were successfully monitored by a process camera coupled with an image analysis software developed by the authors. The validation of the developed system showed that the particle size analysis tool can determine the size of the granules with an error of less than 5 µm. The next step was to implement real-time feedback control of the process by controlling the liquid feeding rate of the pump through a PC, based on the real-time determined particle size results. After the establishment of the feedback control, the system could correct different real-life disturbances, creating a Process Analytically Controlled Technology (PACT), which guarantees the real-time monitoring and controlling of the quality of the granules. In the event of changes or bad tendencies in the particle size, the system can automatically compensate the effect of disturbances, ensuring proper product quality. This kind of quality assurance approach is especially important in the case of continuous pharmaceutical technologies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of Autonomous Smart Inverter Volt-VAR Function for Voltage Reduction Energy Savings and Power Quality in Electric Distribution Systems: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, Fei; Nagarajan, Adarsh; Baggu, Murali

This paper evaluated the impact of smart inverter Volt-VAR function on voltage reduction energy saving and power quality in electric power distribution systems. A methodology to implement the voltage reduction optimization was developed by controlling the substation LTC and capacitor banks, and having smart inverters participate through their autonomous Volt-VAR control. In addition, a power quality scoring methodology was proposed and utilized to quantify the effect on power distribution system power quality. All of these methodologies were applied to a utility distribution system model to evaluate the voltage reduction energy saving and power quality under various PV penetrations and smartmore » inverter densities.« less

Handling Qualities Optimization for Rotorcraft Conceptual Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Ben; Theodore, Colin R.; Berger, Tom

2016-01-01

Over the past decade, NASA, under a succession of rotary-wing programs has been moving towards coupling multiple discipline analyses in a rigorous consistent manner to evaluate rotorcraft conceptual designs. Handling qualities is one of the component analyses to be included in a future NASA Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization framework for conceptual design of VTOL aircraft. Similarly, the future vision for the capability of the Concept Design and Assessment Technology Area (CD&A-TA) of the U.S Army Aviation Development Directorate also includes a handling qualities component. SIMPLI-FLYD is a tool jointly developed by NASA and the U.S. Army to perform modeling and analysis for the assessment of flight dynamics and control aspects of the handling qualities of rotorcraft conceptual designs. An exploration of handling qualities analysis has been carried out using SIMPLI-FLYD in illustrative scenarios of a tiltrotor in forward flight and single-main rotor helicopter at hover. Using SIMPLI-FLYD and the conceptual design tool NDARC integrated into a single process, the effects of variations of design parameters such as tail or rotor size were evaluated in the form of margins to fixed- and rotary-wing handling qualities metrics as well as the vehicle empty weight. The handling qualities design margins are shown to vary across the flight envelope due to both changing flight dynamic and control characteristics and changing handling qualities specification requirements. The current SIMPLI-FLYD capability and future developments are discussed in the context of an overall rotorcraft conceptual design process.

DEVELOPMENT OF DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND USE OF TWO VARIATIONS OF GENETICALLY-MODIFIED STREPTOCOCCUS GORDONIL AS LYSIS CONTROLS IN A QPCR ASSAY FOR ASSESSING SANITARY QUALITY OF WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Joseph B. James and Fred J. Genthner

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL

Background: Methods using rapid cycle, real-time, quantitative (QPCR) are being developed for detecting and quantifying Enterococcus spp. as well as other aquatic b...

From quality markers to data mining and intelligence assessment: A smart quality-evaluation strategy for traditional Chinese medicine based on quality markers.

PubMed

Bai, Gang; Zhang, Tiejun; Hou, Yuanyuan; Ding, Guoyu; Jiang, Min; Luo, Guoan

2018-05-15

The quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) forms the foundation of its clinical efficacy. The standardization of TCM is the most important task of TCM modernization. In recent years, there has been great progress in the quality control of TCM. However, there are still many issues related to the current quality standards, and it is difficult to objectively evaluate and effectively control the quality of TCM. To face these challenge, we summarized the current quality marker (Q-marker) research based on its characteristics and benefits, and proposed a reasonable and intelligentized quality evaluation strategy for the development and application of Q-markers. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight with partial least squares-discriminant analysis was suggested to screen the chemical markers from Chinese medicinal materials (CMM), and a bioactive-guided evaluation method was used to select the Q-markers. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), based on the distinctive wavenumber zones or points from the Q-markers, was developed for its determination. Then, artificial intelligence algorithms were used to clarify the complex relationship between the Q-markers and their integral functions. Internet and mobile communication technology helped us to perform remote analysis and determine the information feedback of test samples. The quality control research, evaluation, standard establishment and quality control of TCM must be based on the systematic analysis of Q-markers to study and describe the material basis of TCM efficacy, define the chemical markers in the plant body, and understand the process of herb drug acquisition, change and transmission laws affecting metabolism and exposure. Based on the advantages of chemometrics, new sensor technologies, including infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, chemical imaging, electronic nose and electronic tongue, have become increasingly important in the quality evaluation of CMM. Inspired by the concept of Q-marker, the quantitation can be achieved with the help of artificial intelligence, and these subtle differences can be discovered, allowing the quantitative analysis by NIRS and providing a quick and easy detection method for CMM quality evaluations. The concept of Q-markers focused on unique CMM differences, dynamic changes and their transmission and traceability to establish an overall quality control and traceability system. Based on the basic attributes, an integration model and artificial intelligence research path was proposed, with the hope of providing new ideas and perspectives for the TCM quality management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

AstroCloud, a Cyber-Infrastructure for Astronomy Research: Data Archiving and Quality Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, B.; Cui, C.; Fan, D.; Li, C.; Xiao, J.; Yu, C.; Wang, C.; Cao, Z.; Chen, J.; Yi, W.; Li, S.; Mi, L.; Yang, S.

2015-09-01

AstroCloud is a cyber-Infrastructure for Astronomy Research initiated by Chinese Virtual Observatory (China-VO) under funding support from NDRC (National Development and Reform commission) and CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences)1(Cui et al. 2014). To archive the astronomical data in China, we present the implementation of the astronomical data archiving system (ADAS). Data archiving and quality control are the infrastructure for the AstroCloud. Throughout the data of the entire life cycle, data archiving system standardized data, transferring data, logging observational data, archiving ambient data, And storing these data and metadata in database. Quality control covers the whole process and all aspects of data archiving.

Handling Qualities of a Large Civil Tiltrotor in Hover using Translational Rate Command

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malpica, Carlos A.; Theodore, Colin R.; Lawrence, Ben; Lindsey, James; Blanken, Chris

2012-01-01

A Translational Rate Command (TRC) control law has been developed to enable low speed maneuvering of a large civil tiltrotor with minimal pitch changes by means of automatic nacelle angle deflections for longitudinal velocity control. The nacelle actuator bandwidth required to achieve Level 1 handling qualities in hover and the feasibility of additional longitudinal cyclic control to augment low bandwidth nacelle actuation were investigated. A frequency-domain handling qualities criterion characterizing TRC response in terms of bandwidth and phase delay was proposed and validated against a piloted simulation conducted on the NASA-Ames Vertical Motion Simulator. Seven experimental test pilots completed evaluations in the ADS-33E-PRF Hover Mission Task Element (MTE) for a matrix of nacelle actuator bandwidths, equivalent rise times and control response sensitivities, and longitudinal cyclic control allocations. Evaluated against this task, longitudinal phase delay shows the Level 1 boundary is around 0.4 0.5 s. Accordingly, Level 1 handling qualities were achieved either with a nacelle actuator bandwidth greater than 4 rad/s, or by employing longitudinal cyclic control to augment low bandwidth nacelle actuation.

Manufacturing processes for fabricating graphite/PMR 15 polyimide structural elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheppard, C. H.; Hoggatt, J. T.; Symonds, W. A.

1979-01-01

Investigations were conducted to obtain commercially available graphite/PMR-15 polyimide prepreg, develop an autoclave manufacturing process, and demonstrate the process by manufacturing structural elements. Controls were established on polymer, prepreg, composite fabrication, and quality assurance, Successful material quality control and processes were demonstrated by fabricating major structural elements including flat laminates, hat sections, I beam sections, honeycomb sandwich structures, and molded graphite reinforced fittings. Successful fabrication of structural elements and simulated section of the space shuttle aft body flap shows that the graphite/PMR-15 polyimide system and the developed processes are ready for further evaluation in flight test hardware.

Preparation method and quality control of multigamma volume sources with different matrices.

PubMed

Listkowska, A; Lech, E; Saganowski, P; Tymiński, Z; Dziel, T; Cacko, D; Ziemek, T; Kołakowska, E; Broda, R

2018-04-01

The aim of the work was to develop new radioactive standard sources based on epoxy resins. The optimal proportions of the components and the homogeneity of the matrices were determined. The activity of multigamma sources prepared in Marinelli beakers was determined with reference to the National Standard of Radionuclides Activity in Poland. The difference of radionuclides activity values determined using calibrated gamma spectrometer and the activity of standard solutions used are in most cases significantly lower than measurement uncertainty limits. Sources production method and quality control procedure have been developed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Taking advantage of ground data systems attributes to achieve quality results in testing software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sigman, Clayton B.; Koslosky, John T.; Hageman, Barbara H.

1994-01-01

During the software development life cycle process, basic testing starts with the development team. At the end of the development process, an acceptance test is performed for the user to ensure that the deliverable is acceptable. Ideally, the delivery is an operational product with zero defects. However, the goal of zero defects is normally not achieved but is successful to various degrees. With the emphasis on building low cost ground support systems while maintaining a quality product, a key element in the test process is simulator capability. This paper reviews the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) Advanced Spacecraft Simulator (TASS) test tool that is used in the acceptance test process for unmanned satellite operations control centers. The TASS is designed to support the development, test and operational environments of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) operations control centers. The TASS uses the same basic architecture as the operations control center. This architecture is characterized by its use of distributed processing, industry standards, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software components, and reusable software. The TASS uses much of the same TPOCC architecture and reusable software that the operations control center developer uses. The TASS also makes use of reusable simulator software in the mission specific versions of the TASS. Very little new software needs to be developed, mainly mission specific telemetry communication and command processing software. By taking advantage of the ground data system attributes, successful software reuse for operational systems provides the opportunity to extend the reuse concept into the test area. Consistency in test approach is a major step in achieving quality results.

A conceptual study of automatic and semi-automatic quality assurance techniques for round image processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

This report summarizes the results of a study conducted by Engineering and Economics Research (EER), Inc. under NASA Contract Number NAS5-27513. The study involved the development of preliminary concepts for automatic and semiautomatic quality assurance (QA) techniques for ground image processing. A distinction is made between quality assessment and the more comprehensive quality assurance which includes decision making and system feedback control in response to quality assessment.

Automated daily quality control analysis for mammography in a multi-unit imaging center.

PubMed

Sundell, Veli-Matti; Mäkelä, Teemu; Meaney, Alexander; Kaasalainen, Touko; Savolainen, Sauli

2018-01-01

Background The high requirements for mammography image quality necessitate a systematic quality assurance process. Digital imaging allows automation of the image quality analysis, which can potentially improve repeatability and objectivity compared to a visual evaluation made by the users. Purpose To develop an automatic image quality analysis software for daily mammography quality control in a multi-unit imaging center. Material and Methods An automated image quality analysis software using the discrete wavelet transform and multiresolution analysis was developed for the American College of Radiology accreditation phantom. The software was validated by analyzing 60 randomly selected phantom images from six mammography systems and 20 phantom images with different dose levels from one mammography system. The results were compared to a visual analysis made by four reviewers. Additionally, long-term image quality trends of a full-field digital mammography system and a computed radiography mammography system were investigated. Results The automated software produced feature detection levels comparable to visual analysis. The agreement was good in the case of fibers, while the software detected somewhat more microcalcifications and characteristic masses. Long-term follow-up via a quality assurance web portal demonstrated the feasibility of using the software for monitoring the performance of mammography systems in a multi-unit imaging center. Conclusion Automated image quality analysis enables monitoring the performance of digital mammography systems in an efficient, centralized manner.

Viability of Commercially Available Bleach for Water Treatment in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Treating household water with low-cost, widely available commercial bleach is recommended by some organizations to improve water quality and reduce disease in developing countries. I analyzed the chlorine concentration of 32 bleaches from 12 developing countries; the average error between advertised and measured concentration was 35% (range = –45%–100%; standard deviation = 40%). Because of disparities between advertised and actual concentration, the use of commercial bleach for water treatment in developing countries is not recommended without ongoing quality control testing. PMID:19762657

Viability of commercially available bleach for water treatment in developing countries.

PubMed

Lantagne, Daniele S

2009-11-01

Treating household water with low-cost, widely available commercial bleach is recommended by some organizations to improve water quality and reduce disease in developing countries. I analyzed the chlorine concentration of 32 bleaches from 12 developing countries; the average error between advertised and measured concentration was 35% (range = -45%-100%; standard deviation = 40%). Because of disparities between advertised and actual concentration, the use of commercial bleach for water treatment in developing countries is not recommended without ongoing quality control testing.

A Process Management System for Networked Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tingting; Wang, Huifen; Liu, Linyan

With the development of computer, communication and network, networked manufacturing has become one of the main manufacturing paradigms in the 21st century. Under the networked manufacturing environment, there exist a large number of cooperative tasks susceptible to alterations, conflicts caused by resources and problems of cost and quality. This increases the complexity of administration. Process management is a technology used to design, enact, control, and analyze networked manufacturing processes. It supports efficient execution, effective management, conflict resolution, cost containment and quality control. In this paper we propose an integrated process management system for networked manufacturing. Requirements of process management are analyzed and architecture of the system is presented. And a process model considering process cost and quality is developed. Finally a case study is provided to explain how the system runs efficiently.

User Interaction with the CNPC Link

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Lyall, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

As part of NASAs UAS in the NAS project, human factor guidelines are being developed for the ground control station of unmanned aircraft systems. A critical task for the pilot of a UAS is the management and control of the terrestrial radio links used to provide control of the vehicle and relay communications with air traffic control. An analysis of the task of the UAS pilot has been conducted to identify areas where guidelines are required. This analysis has identified a set of information requirements that must be supported by the radio equipment used to provide Control and Non-payload Communication (CNPC). Key requirements include the need for an alert when the link is lost, information on the current quality and latency of the link, and information to enable the future quality of the link to be anticipated as the aircraft changes location. These identified requirements can assist in the development of minimum operational performance standards for CNPC equipment.

Guidance and Control Software Project Data - Volume 4: Configuration Management and Quality Assurance Documents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayhurst, Kelly J. (Editor)

2008-01-01

The Guidance and Control Software (GCS) project was the last in a series of software reliability studies conducted at Langley Research Center between 1977 and 1994. The technical results of the GCS project were recorded after the experiment was completed. Some of the support documentation produced as part of the experiment, however, is serving an unexpected role far beyond its original project context. Some of the software used as part of the GCS project was developed to conform to the RTCA/DO-178B software standard, "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification," used in the civil aviation industry. That standard requires extensive documentation throughout the software development life cycle, including plans, software requirements, design and source code, verification cases and results, and configuration management and quality control data. The project documentation that includes this information is open for public scrutiny without the legal or safety implications associated with comparable data from an avionics manufacturer. This public availability has afforded an opportunity to use the GCS project documents for DO-178B training. This report provides a brief overview of the GCS project, describes the 4-volume set of documents and the role they are playing in training, and includes configuration management and quality assurance documents from the GCS project. Volume 4 contains six appendices: A. Software Accomplishment Summary for the Guidance and Control Software Project; B. Software Configuration Index for the Guidance and Control Software Project; C. Configuration Management Records for the Guidance and Control Software Project; D. Software Quality Assurance Records for the Guidance and Control Software Project; E. Problem Report for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software Project; and F. Support Documentation Change Reports for the Guidance and Control Software Project.

THE MAQC PROJECT: ESTABLISHING QC METRICS AND THRESHOLDS FOR MICROARRAY QUALITY CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

Microarrays represent a core technology in pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics; however, before this technology can successfully and reliably be applied in clinical practice and regulatory decision-making, standards and quality measures need to be developed. The Microarray Qualit...

Develop a Methodology to Evaluate the Effectiveness of QC/QA Specifications (Phase II)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has been implementing statistically based quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) specifications for hot mix asphalt concrete pavements since the early 1990s. These specifications have been continuousl...

Knowledge acquisition for a simple expert controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bieker, B.

1987-01-01

A method is presented for process control which has the properties of being incremental, cyclic and top-down. It is described on the basis of the development of an expert controller for a simple, but nonlinear control route. A quality comparison between expert controller and process operator shows the ability of the method for knowledge acquisition.

Development of quality control procedures for mass produced and released Bactrocera Philippinensis (Diptera: Tephritidae) for sterile insect technique programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Resilva, S.; Obra, G.; Zamora, N.

Quality control procedures for Bactrocera philippinensis Drew and Hancock 1994 (Diptera: Tephritidae) used in sterile insect technique (SIT) programs were established in the mass rearing facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. Basic studies on pupal irradiation, holding/packaging systems, shipping procedures, longevity, sterility studies, and pupal eye color determination in relation to physiological development at different temperature regimes were investigated. These studies will provide baseline data for the development of quality control protocols for an expansion of B. philippinensis field programs with an SIT component in the future. (author) [Spanish] Los procedimientos de control de calidad para Bactrocera philippinensis Drewmore » y Hancock 1994 (Diptera: Tephritidae) usados en programas de la tecnica de insecto esteril (TIE) fueron establecidos en la facilidad de cria en masa del Instituto Filipino de Investigacion Nuclear. Estudios basicos sobre la irradiacion de las pupas, sistemas de almacenaje/empaque, procedimientos del envio, longevidad, estudios de esterilidad y la determinacion del color de ojo de la pupa en relacion con el desarrollo fisiologico en regimenes diferentes de temperatura fueron investigados. Estos estudios proveeran una linea de informacion basica para el desarrollo de protocolos de control de calidad para una expansion de los programas de campo para B. philippinensis con un componente de TIS en el futuro. (author)« less

Control of forward swept wing configurations dominated by flight-dynamic/aeroelastic interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rimer, M.; Chipman, R.; Muniz, B.

1984-01-01

An active control system concept for an aeroelastic wind-tunnel model of a statically unstable FSW configuration with wing-mounted stores is developed to provide acceptable longitudinal flying qualities while maintaining adequate flutter speed margin. On FSW configurations, the inherent aeroelastic wing divergence tendency causes strong flight-dynamic/aeroelastic interactions that in certain cases can produce a dynamic instability known as body-freedom flutter (BFF). The carriage of wing-mounted stores is shown to severely aggravate this problem. The control system developed combines a canard-based SAS with an Active Divergence/Flutter Suppression (ADFS) system which relies on wing-mounted sensors and a trailing-edge device (flaperon). Synergism between these two systems is exploited to obtain the flying qualities and flutter speed objectives.

A precipitation database of station-based daily and monthly measurements for West Africa: Overview, quality control and harmonization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bliefernicht, Jan; Waongo, Moussa; Annor, Thompson; Laux, Patrick; Lorenz, Manuel; Salack, Seyni; Kunstmann, Harald

2017-04-01

West Africa is a data sparse region. High quality and long-term precipitation data are often not readily available for applications in hydrology, agriculture, meteorology and other needs. To close this gap, we use multiple data sources to develop a precipitation database with long-term daily and monthly time series. This database was compiled from 16 archives including global databases e.g. from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN), databases from research projects (e.g. the AMMA database) and databases of the national meteorological services of some West African countries. The collection consists of more than 2000 precipitation gauges with measurements dating from 1850 to 2015. Due to erroneous measurements (e.g. temporal offsets, unit conversion errors), missing values and inconsistent meta-data, the merging of this precipitation dataset is not straightforward and requires a thorough quality control and harmonization. To this end, we developed geostatistical-based algorithms for quality control of individual databases and harmonization to a joint database. The algorithms are based on a pairwise comparison of the correspondence of precipitation time series in dependence to the distance between stations. They were tested for precipitation time series from gages located in a rectangular domain covering Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin and Togo. This harmonized and quality controlled precipitation database was recently used for several applications such as the validation of a high resolution regional climate model and the bias correction of precipitation projections provided the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX). In this presentation, we will give an overview of the novel daily and monthly precipitation database and the algorithms used for quality control and harmonization. We will also highlight the quality of global and regional archives (e.g. GHCN, GSOD, AMMA database) in comparison to the precipitation databases provided by the national meteorological services.

Evaluation of thin-layer chromatography methods for quality control of commercial products containing Aesculus hippocastanum, Turnera diffusa, Matricaria recutita, Passiflora incarnata, and Tilia occidentalis.

PubMed

Ramírez-Durón, Rosalba; Ceniceros-Almaguer, Lucía; Salazar-Aranda, Ricardo; Salazar-Cavazos, Ma de la Luz; Waksman de Torres, Noemi

2007-01-01

In Mexico, plant-derived products with health claims are sold as herbal dietary supplements, and there are no rules for their legal quality control. Aesculus hippocastanum, Turnera diffusa, Matricaria recutita, Passiflora incarnata, and Tilia occidentalis are some of the major commercial products obtained from plants used in this region. In this paper, we describe the effectiveness of thin-layer chromatography methods to provide for the quality control of several commercial products containing these plants. Standardized extracts were used. Of the 49 commercial products analyzed, only 32.65% matched the chromatographic characteristic of standardized extracts. A significant number of commercial products did not match their label, indicating a problem resulting from the lack of regulation for these products. The proposed methods are simple, sensitive, and specific and can be used for routine quality control of raw herbals and formulations of the tested plants. The results obtained show the need to develop simple and reliable analytical methods that can be performed in any laboratory for the purpose of quality control of dietary supplements or commercial herbal products sold in Mexico.

Drug innovation, price controls, and parallel trade.

PubMed

Matteucci, Giorgio; Reverberi, Pierfrancesco

2016-12-21

We study the long-run welfare effects of parallel trade (PT) in pharmaceuticals. We develop a two-country model of PT with endogenous quality, where the pharmaceutical firm negotiates the price of the drug with the government in the foreign country. We show that, even though the foreign government does not consider global R&D costs, (the threat of) PT improves the quality of the drug as long as the foreign consumers' valuation of quality is high enough. We find that the firm's short-run profit may be higher when PT is allowed. Nonetheless, this is neither necessary nor sufficient for improving drug quality in the long run. We also show that improving drug quality is a sufficient condition for PT to increase global welfare. Finally, we show that, when PT is allowed, drug quality may be higher with than without price controls.

qcML: An Exchange Format for Quality Control Metrics from Mass Spectrometry Experiments*

PubMed Central

Walzer, Mathias; Pernas, Lucia Espona; Nasso, Sara; Bittremieux, Wout; Nahnsen, Sven; Kelchtermans, Pieter; Pichler, Peter; van den Toorn, Henk W. P.; Staes, An; Vandenbussche, Jonathan; Mazanek, Michael; Taus, Thomas; Scheltema, Richard A.; Kelstrup, Christian D.; Gatto, Laurent; van Breukelen, Bas; Aiche, Stephan; Valkenborg, Dirk; Laukens, Kris; Lilley, Kathryn S.; Olsen, Jesper V.; Heck, Albert J. R.; Mechtler, Karl; Aebersold, Ruedi; Gevaert, Kris; Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio; Hermjakob, Henning; Kohlbacher, Oliver; Martens, Lennart

2014-01-01

Quality control is increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of mass spectrometry based proteomics. Several recent papers discuss relevant parameters for quality control and present applications to extract these from the instrumental raw data. What has been missing, however, is a standard data exchange format for reporting these performance metrics. We therefore developed the qcML format, an XML-based standard that follows the design principles of the related mzML, mzIdentML, mzQuantML, and TraML standards from the HUPO-PSI (Proteomics Standards Initiative). In addition to the XML format, we also provide tools for the calculation of a wide range of quality metrics as well as a database format and interconversion tools, so that existing LIMS systems can easily add relational storage of the quality control data to their existing schema. We here describe the qcML specification, along with possible use cases and an illustrative example of the subsequent analysis possibilities. All information about qcML is available at http://code.google.com/p/qcml. PMID:24760958

qcML: an exchange format for quality control metrics from mass spectrometry experiments.

PubMed

Walzer, Mathias; Pernas, Lucia Espona; Nasso, Sara; Bittremieux, Wout; Nahnsen, Sven; Kelchtermans, Pieter; Pichler, Peter; van den Toorn, Henk W P; Staes, An; Vandenbussche, Jonathan; Mazanek, Michael; Taus, Thomas; Scheltema, Richard A; Kelstrup, Christian D; Gatto, Laurent; van Breukelen, Bas; Aiche, Stephan; Valkenborg, Dirk; Laukens, Kris; Lilley, Kathryn S; Olsen, Jesper V; Heck, Albert J R; Mechtler, Karl; Aebersold, Ruedi; Gevaert, Kris; Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio; Hermjakob, Henning; Kohlbacher, Oliver; Martens, Lennart

2014-08-01

Quality control is increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of mass spectrometry based proteomics. Several recent papers discuss relevant parameters for quality control and present applications to extract these from the instrumental raw data. What has been missing, however, is a standard data exchange format for reporting these performance metrics. We therefore developed the qcML format, an XML-based standard that follows the design principles of the related mzML, mzIdentML, mzQuantML, and TraML standards from the HUPO-PSI (Proteomics Standards Initiative). In addition to the XML format, we also provide tools for the calculation of a wide range of quality metrics as well as a database format and interconversion tools, so that existing LIMS systems can easily add relational storage of the quality control data to their existing schema. We here describe the qcML specification, along with possible use cases and an illustrative example of the subsequent analysis possibilities. All information about qcML is available at http://code.google.com/p/qcml. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Quality Assurance Through Quality Improvement and Professional Development in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

PubMed Central

Siegl, Elvira J.; Miller, Jacqueline W.; Khan, Kris; Harris, Susan E.

2015-01-01

Quality assurance (QA) is the process of providing evidence that the outcome meets the established standards. Quality improvement (QI), by contrast, is the act of methodically developing ways to meet acceptable quality standards and evaluating current processes to improve overall performance. In the case of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), the desired outcome is the delivery of quality health care services to program clients. The NBCCEDP provides professional development to ensure that participating providers have current knowledge of evidence-based clinical standards regarding breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnosis and are monitoring women with abnormal screening results for timely follow-up. To assess the quality of clinical care provided to NBCCEDP clients, performance data are collected by NBCCEDP grantees and compared against predetermined Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) benchmarks known as Data Quality Indicator Guides. In this article, the authors describe 1) the development and use of indicators for QI in the NBCCEDP and 2) the professional development activities implemented to improve clinical outcomes. QA identifies problems, whereas QI systematically corrects them. The quality of service delivery and improved patient outcomes among NBCCEDP grantees has enhanced significantly because of continuous monitoring of performance and professional development. By using QA, NBCCEDP grantees can maximize the quality of patient screening, diagnostic services, and follow-up. Examples of grantee activities to maintain quality of care are also described in this report. PMID:25099901

The World Optical Depth Research and Calibration Center (WORCC) quality assurance and quality control of GAW-PFR AOD measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazadzis, Stelios; Kouremeti, Natalia; Nyeki, Stephan; Gröbner, Julian; Wehrli, Christoph

2018-02-01

The World Optical Depth Research Calibration Center (WORCC) is a section within the World Radiation Center at Physikalisches-Meteorologisches Observatorium (PMOD/WRC), Davos, Switzerland, established after the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organization for calibration of aerosol optical depth (AOD)-related Sun photometers. WORCC is mandated to develop new methods for instrument calibration, to initiate homogenization activities among different AOD networks and to run a network (GAW-PFR) of Sun photometers. In this work we describe the calibration hierarchy and methods used under WORCC and the basic procedures, tests and processing techniques in order to ensure the quality assurance and quality control of the AOD-retrieved data.

Clinical guidelines in the European Union: mapping the regulatory basis, development, quality control, implementation and evaluation across member states.

PubMed

Legido-Quigley, Helena; Panteli, Dimitra; Brusamento, Serena; Knai, Cécile; Saliba, Vanessa; Turk, Eva; Solé, Meritxell; Augustin, Uta; Car, Josip; McKee, Martin; Busse, Reinhard

2012-10-01

Clinical guidelines are advocated to improve the quality of care, especially for chronic diseases. However, the regulatory basis of clinical guidelines, their development, quality control, implementation and use as well as evaluation within countries across the European Union is not systematically known. Using information collected from key informants in each country by means of a structured questionnaire, this mapping exercise illustrates the varied status of guideline production in European Union countries. Most European Union countries have an established national, regional or local clinical guideline programme, and a substantial proportion have developed guidelines on the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Several countries have mechanisms in place to ensure the quality of scientific evidence used for the development of guidelines is high and that the process is consistent and transparent. Others are only now taking an interest in guideline development and are taking the first steps towards establishing ways of implementing them. The majority of countries have no legal basis for the development of guidelines and those that have well established systems mostly implement them on a voluntary basis. The process of guideline development varies in its degrees of decentralisation across countries with many different types of organisations taking on this responsibility. There is general acceptance of the value of the instrument developed by the AGREE collaboration for evaluating the methodological robustness of guidelines. However, the extent to which guidelines are implemented in Europe is unknown, as there is no systematic data collection and, in most countries, no structure to enable it. There are few examples of formal evaluations of the development, quality, implementation and use of guidelines. Our findings call for renewed efforts to respond to the severe lack of standardized guideline terminology and accessibility as well as rigorous studies to evaluate the relationship between different ways to develop guidelines and their methodological quality, between their quality and the actual implementation and usage, and finally between implementation and health outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protective Controller against Cascade Outages with Selective Harmonic Compensation Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abramovich, B. N.; Kuznetsov, P. A.; Sychev, Yu A.

2018-05-01

The paper presents data on the power quality and development of protective devices for the power networks with distributed generation (DG).The research has shown that power quality requirements for DG networks differ from conventional ones. That is why main tendencies, protective equipment and filters should be modified. There isa developed algorithm for detection and prevention of cascade outages that can lead to the blackoutin DG networks and there was a proposed structural scheme for a new active power filter for selective harmonics compensation. Analysis of these theories and equipment led to the development of protective device that could monitor power balance and cut off non-important consumers. The last part of the article describes a microcontroller prototype developed for connection to the existing power station control center.

Profile of a cell test database and a corresponding reliability database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brearley, George R.; Klein, Glenn C.

1992-01-01

The development of computerized control, and data retrieval for aerospace cell testing affords an excellent opportunity to incorporate three specific concepts to both manage the test area and to track product performance on a real-time basis. The adoption and incorporation of precepts fostered by this total quality management (TQM) initiative are critical to us for retaining control of our business while substantially reducing the separate quality control inspection activity. Test discrepancies are all 'equally bad' in cell acceptance testing because, for example, we presently do not discriminate between 1 or 25 mV for an overvoltage condition. We must take leadership in classifying such discrepancies in order to expedite their clearance and redirect our resources for prevention activities. The development and use of engineering alerts (or guardbanding) which more closely match our product capabilities and are toleranced tighter than the required customer specification are paramount to managing the test unit in order to remain both quality and cost effective.

Performance Evaluation of UPQC under Nonlinear Unbalanced Load Conditions Using Synchronous Reference Frame Based Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kota, Venkata Reddy; Vinnakoti, Sudheer

2017-12-01

Today, maintaining Power Quality (PQ) is very important in the growing competent world. With new equipments and devices, new challenges are also being put before power system operators. Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) is proposed to mitigate many power quality problems and to improve the performance of the power system. In this paper, an UPQC with Fuzzy Logic controller for capacitor voltage balancing is proposed in Synchronous Reference Frame (SRF) based control with Modified Phased Locked Loop (MPLL). The proposed controller with SRF-MPLL based control is tested under non-linear and unbalanced load conditions. The system is developed in Matlab/Simulink and its performance is analyzed under various conditions like non-linear, unbalanced load and polluted supply voltage including voltage sag/swells. Active and reactive power flow in the system, power factor and %THD of voltages and currents before and after compensation are also analyzed in this work. Results prove the applicability of the proposed scheme for power quality improvement. It is observed that the fuzzy controller gives better performance than PI controller with faster capacitor voltage balancing and also improves the dynamic performance of the system.

Sustainable improvement of animal health care by systematic quality risk management according to the HACCP concept.

PubMed

Noordhuizen, J P; Welpelo, H J

1996-12-01

This paper addresses the principles of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept as applied to animal health management strategy. Characteristics of the concept were analysed and compared with those of current animal health care strategies for disease risk identification and herd health management, insurance, and certification. HACCP is a hybrid strategy of quality control at both production process and product level. Animal health is considered a particular quality feature. We show that process control (expressed in terms of controlling both general and specific disease risk factors) and product control (expressed in terms of testing animals or animal products for specific disease agents) could form the basis for improving animal health. We conclude that HACCP provides ample opportunity for preventive health action and risk management at a relatively low cost in terms of labour, finance and documentation expenditure, at both the farm and sector level. Epidemiological field studies are currently needed to identify critical control points and to design HACCP procedures for livestock producers. In the long run, HACCP based animal health care can be further developed into a quality control systems approach to cover all aspects that are related, either directly or indirectly, to animal health.

Drop-on-Demand System for Manufacturing of Melt-based Solid Oral Dosage: Effect of Critical Process Parameters on Product Quality.

PubMed

Içten, Elçin; Giridhar, Arun; Nagy, Zoltan K; Reklaitis, Gintaras V

2016-04-01

The features of a drop-on-demand-based system developed for the manufacture of melt-based pharmaceuticals have been previously reported. In this paper, a supervisory control system, which is designed to ensure reproducible production of high quality of melt-based solid oral dosages, is presented. This control system enables the production of individual dosage forms with the desired critical quality attributes: amount of active ingredient and drug morphology by monitoring and controlling critical process parameters, such as drop size and product and process temperatures. The effects of these process parameters on the final product quality are investigated, and the properties of the produced dosage forms characterized using various techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and dissolution testing. A crystallization temperature control strategy, including controlled temperature cycles, is presented to tailor the crystallization behavior of drug deposits and to achieve consistent drug morphology. This control strategy can be used to achieve the desired bioavailability of the drug by mitigating variations in the dissolution profiles. The supervisor control strategy enables the application of the drop-on-demand system to the production of individualized dosage required for personalized drug regimens.

Joint Optics Structures Experiment (JOSE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Founds, David

1987-01-01

The objectives of the JOSE program is to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate active vibration suppression techniques for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). DEW system performance is highly influenced by the line-of-sight (LOS) stability and in some cases by the wave front quality. The missions envisioned for DEW systems by the Strategic Defense Initiative require LOS stability and wave front quality to be significantly improved over any current demonstrated capability. The Active Control of Space Structures (ACOSS) program led to the development of a number of promising structural control techniques. DEW structures are vastly more complex than any structures controlled to date. They will be subject to disturbances with significantly higher magnitudes and wider bandwidths, while holding higher tolerances on allowable motions and deformations. Meeting the performance requirements of the JOSE program requires upgrading the ACOSS techniques to meet new more stringent requirements, the development of requisite sensors and acturators, improved control processors, highly accurate system identification methods, and the integration of hardware and methodologies into a successful demonstration.

Improved statistical method for temperature and salinity quality control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourrion, Jérôme; Szekely, Tanguy

2017-04-01

Climate research and Ocean monitoring benefit from the continuous development of global in-situ hydrographic networks in the last decades. Apart from the increasing volume of observations available on a large range of temporal and spatial scales, a critical aspect concerns the ability to constantly improve the quality of the datasets. In the context of the Coriolis Dataset for ReAnalysis (CORA) version 4.2, a new quality control method based on a local comparison to historical extreme values ever observed is developed, implemented and validated. Temperature, salinity and potential density validity intervals are directly estimated from minimum and maximum values from an historical reference dataset, rather than from traditional mean and standard deviation estimates. Such an approach avoids strong statistical assumptions on the data distributions such as unimodality, absence of skewness and spatially homogeneous kurtosis. As a new feature, it also allows addressing simultaneously the two main objectives of an automatic quality control strategy, i.e. maximizing the number of good detections while minimizing the number of false alarms. The reference dataset is presently built from the fusion of 1) all ARGO profiles up to late 2015, 2) 3 historical CTD datasets and 3) the Sea Mammals CTD profiles from the MEOP database. All datasets are extensively and manually quality controlled. In this communication, the latest method validation results are also presented. The method has already been implemented in the latest version of the delayed-time CMEMS in-situ dataset and will be deployed soon in the equivalent near-real time products.

Improved Statistical Method For Hydrographic Climatic Records Quality Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourrion, J.; Szekely, T.

2016-02-01

Climate research benefits from the continuous development of global in-situ hydrographic networks in the last decades. Apart from the increasing volume of observations available on a large range of temporal and spatial scales, a critical aspect concerns the ability to constantly improve the quality of the datasets. In the context of the Coriolis Dataset for ReAnalysis (CORA) version 4.2, a new quality control method based on a local comparison to historical extreme values ever observed is developed, implemented and validated. Temperature, salinity and potential density validity intervals are directly estimated from minimum and maximum values from an historical reference dataset, rather than from traditional mean and standard deviation estimates. Such an approach avoids strong statistical assumptions on the data distributions such as unimodality, absence of skewness and spatially homogeneous kurtosis. As a new feature, it also allows addressing simultaneously the two main objectives of a quality control strategy, i.e. maximizing the number of good detections while minimizing the number of false alarms. The reference dataset is presently built from the fusion of 1) all ARGO profiles up to early 2014, 2) 3 historical CTD datasets and 3) the Sea Mammals CTD profiles from the MEOP database. All datasets are extensively and manually quality controlled. In this communication, the latest method validation results are also presented. The method has been implemented in the latest version of the CORA dataset and will benefit to the next version of the Copernicus CMEMS dataset.

The Pan European Phenological Database PEP725: Data Content and Data Quality Control Procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurkovic, Anita; Hübner, Thomas; Koch, Elisabeth; Lipa, Wolfgang; Scheifinger, Helfried; Ungersböck, Markus; Zach-Hermann, Susanne

2014-05-01

Phenology - the study of the timing of recurring biological events in the animal and plant world - has become an important approach for climate change impact studies in recent years. It is therefore a "conditio sine qua non" to collect, archive, digitize, control and update phenological datasets. Thus and with regard to cross-border cooperation and activities it was necessary to establish, operate and promote a pan European phenological database (PEP725). Such a database - designed and tested under cost action 725 in 2004 and further developed and maintained in the framework of the EUMETNET program PEP725 - collects data from different European governmental and nongovernmental institutions and thus offers a unique compilation of plant phenological observations. The data follows the same classification scheme - the so called BBCH coding system - that makes datasets comparable. Europe had a long tradition in the observation of phenological events: the history of collecting phenological data and their usage in climatology began in 1751. The first datasets in PEP725 date back to 1868. However, there are only a few observations available until 1950. From 1951 onwards, the phenological networks all over Europe developed rapidly: Currently, PEP725 provides about 9 million records from 23 European countries (covering approximately 50% of Europe). To supply the data in a good and uniform quality it is essential and worthwhile to establish and develop data quality control procedures. Consequently, one of the main tasks within PEP725 is the conception of a multi-stage-quality control. Currently the tests are stepwise composed: completeness -, plausibility -, time consistency -, climatological - and statistical checks. In a nutshell: The poster exemplifies the status quo of the data content of the PEP725 database and incipient stages of used and planned quality controls, respectively. For more details, we would also like to promote and refer to the PEP725 website (http://www.pep725.eu) and invite additional institutions and regional services to join our program.

[Internal audit--the foundation of healthcare quality management in health care].

PubMed

Smiianov, V A

2014-01-01

The paper proved the need for internal audit as the basis for quality control of medical care in a health facility, developed the project milestones and explains what needs to be taken into account at every stage during its implementation.

Improvement of Base and Soil Construction Quality by Using Intelligent Compaction Technology : Final Report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

Intelligent Compaction (IC) technique is a fast-developing technology for base and soil compaction quality control. Proof-rolling subgrades and bases using IC rollers upon completion of compaction can identify the less stiff spots and significantly i...

Quality data collection and management technology of aerospace complex product assembly process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Gang; Liu, Jianhua; He, Yongxi; Zhuang, Cunbo

2017-04-01

Aiming at solving problems of difficult management and poor traceability for discrete assembly process quality data, a data collection and management method is proposed which take the assembly process and BOM as the core. Data collection method base on workflow technology, data model base on BOM and quality traceability of assembly process is included in the method. Finally, assembly process quality data management system is developed and effective control and management of quality information for complex product assembly process is realized.

Quality-assurance plan for the analysis of suspended sediment by the U.S. Geological Survey in Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodge, Kent A.; Lambing, John H.

2006-01-01

A quality-assurance plan has been developed for use by the sediment laboratory of the U.S. Geological Survey Montana Water Science Center in conducting activities related to the analysis of suspended sediment. The plan documents quality-assurance policies for sediment-laboratory certification, personnel responsibilities and training, documentation requirements, and laboratory safety. The plan also documents quality-assurance procedures related to laboratory equipment and supplies, sample management, sample analysis, analytical quality control, and data management.

A tutorial for developing a topical cream formulation based on the Quality by Design approach.

PubMed

Simões, Ana; Veiga, Francisco; Vitorino, Carla; Figueiras, Ana

2018-06-20

The pharmaceutical industry has entered in a new era, as there is a growing interest in increasing the quality standards of dosage forms, through the implementation of more structured development and manufacturing approaches. For many decades, the manufacturing of drug products was controlled by a regulatory framework to guarantee the quality of the final product through a fixed process and exhaustive testing. Limitations related to the Quality by Test (QbT) system have been widely acknowledged. The emergence of Quality by Design (QbD) as a systematic and risk-based approach introduced a new quality concept based on a good understanding of how raw materials and process parameters influence the final quality profile. Although the QbD system has been recognized as a revolutionary approach to product development and manufacturing, its full implementation in the pharmaceutical field is still limited. This is particularly evident in the case of semisolid complex formulation development. The present review aims at establishing a practical QbD framework to describe all stages comprised in the pharmaceutical development of a conventional cream in a comprehensible manner. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sigma Metrics Across the Total Testing Process.

PubMed

Charuruks, Navapun

2017-03-01

Laboratory quality control has been developed for several decades to ensure patients' safety, from a statistical quality control focus on the analytical phase to total laboratory processes. The sigma concept provides a convenient way to quantify the number of errors in extra-analytical and analytical phases through the defect per million and sigma metric equation. Participation in a sigma verification program can be a convenient way to monitor analytical performance continuous quality improvement. Improvement of sigma-scale performance has been shown from our data. New tools and techniques for integration are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Application of THz technology to nondestructive detection of agricultural product quality].

PubMed

Jiang, Yu-ying; Ge, Hong-yi; Lian, Fei-yu; Zhang, Yuan; Xia, Shan-hong

2014-08-01

With recent development of THz sources and detector, applications of THz radiation to nondestructive testing and quality control have expanded in many fields, such as agriculture, safety inspection and quality control, medicine, biochemistry, communication etc. Compared with other detection technique, being a new kind of technique, THz radiation has low energy, good perspectivity, and high signal-to-noise ratio, and thus can obtain physical, chemical and biological information. This paper first introduces the basic concept of THz radiation and the major properties, then gives an extensive review of recent research progress in detection of the quality of agricultural products via THz technique, analyzes the existing shortcomings of THz detection and discusses the outlook of potential application, finally proposes the new application of THz technique to detection of quality of stored grain.

Impact of feedstock quality and variation on biochemical and thermochemical conversion

DOE PAGES

Li, Chenlin; Aston, John E.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.; ...

2016-07-21

The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic feedstock is attracting considerable attention in the United States and globally as a strategy to diversify energy resources, spur regional economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the wide variation in feedstock types, compositions and content of convertible organics, there is a growing need to better understand correlations among feedstock quality attributes and conversion performance. Knowledge of the feedstock impact on conversion is essential to supply quality controlled, uniform and on-spec feedstocks to biorefineries. This review paper informs the development of meaningful feedstock quality specifications for different conversion processes. Discussions are focusedmore » on how compositional properties of feedstocks affect various unit operations in biochemical conversion processes, fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction. In addition, future perspectives are discussed that focus on the challenges and prospects of addressing compositionally intrinsic inhibitors through feedstock preprocessing at regionally distributed depots. As a result, such preprocessing depots may allow for the commoditization of lignocellulosic feedstock and realization of stable, cost-effective and quality controlled biomass supply systems.« less

Impact of feedstock quality and variation on biochemical and thermochemical conversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Chenlin; Aston, John E.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.

The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic feedstock is attracting considerable attention in the United States and globally as a strategy to diversify energy resources, spur regional economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the wide variation in feedstock types, compositions and content of convertible organics, there is a growing need to better understand correlations among feedstock quality attributes and conversion performance. Knowledge of the feedstock impact on conversion is essential to supply quality controlled, uniform and on-spec feedstocks to biorefineries. This review paper informs the development of meaningful feedstock quality specifications for different conversion processes. Discussions are focusedmore » on how compositional properties of feedstocks affect various unit operations in biochemical conversion processes, fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction. In addition, future perspectives are discussed that focus on the challenges and prospects of addressing compositionally intrinsic inhibitors through feedstock preprocessing at regionally distributed depots. As a result, such preprocessing depots may allow for the commoditization of lignocellulosic feedstock and realization of stable, cost-effective and quality controlled biomass supply systems.« less

The Influence of Software Complexity on the Maintenance Effort: Case Study on Software Developed within Educational Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radulescu, Iulian Ionut

2006-01-01

Software complexity is the most important software quality attribute and a very useful instrument in the study of software quality. Is one of the factors that affect most of the software quality characteristics, including maintainability. It is very important to quantity this influence and identify the means to keep it under control; by using…

Inquiry, Evidence, and Excellence: The Promise and Practice of Quality Assurance. A Festschrift in Honor of Frank B. Murray

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaCelle-Peterson, Mark, Ed.; Rigden, Diana, Ed.

2012-01-01

The overall aim of this volume of essays is to honor Frank B. Murray's commitments to empirically-based quality assurance and to the development of increasingly effective systems of quality control in educator preparation programs. As the editors approached the authors with the invitation to contribute an essay, two characteristic aspects of…

Quality Assurance in Dietetic Services Workshop for the Dietetic Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This workshop guide is a unit of study for teaching dietetic assistants to work with quality control in a nursing home or hospital. The objective of the unit is to enable the students to develop and expand a dietetic services administrative and clinical quality assurance program in his or her own institution. Following the unit objective, the unit…

An approach to quality and security of supply for single-use bioreactors.

PubMed

Barbaroux, Magali; Gerighausen, Susanne; Hackel, Heiko

2014-01-01

Single-use systems (also referred to as disposables) have become a huge part of the bioprocessing industry, which raised concern in the industry regarding quality and security of supply. Processes must be in place to assure the supply and control of outsourced activities and quality of purchased materials along the product life cycle. Quality and security of supply for single-use bioreactors (SUBs) are based on a multidisciplinary approach. Developing a state-of-the-art SUB-system based on quality by design (QbD) principles requires broad expertise and know-how including the cell culture application, polymer chemistry, regulatory requirements, and a deep understanding of the biopharmaceutical industry. Using standardized products reduces the complexity and strengthens the robustness of the supply chain. Well-established supplier relations including risk mitigation strategies are the basis for achieving long-term security of supply. Well-developed quality systems including change control approaches aligned with the requirements of the biopharmaceutical industry are a key factor in supporting long-term product availability. This chapter outlines the approach to security of supply for key materials used in single-use production processes for biopharmaceuticals from a supplier perspective.

An adaptive toolkit for image quality evaluation in system performance test of digital breast tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guozhi; Petrov, Dimitar; Marshall, Nicholas; Bosmans, Hilde

2017-03-01

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a relatively new diagnostic imaging modality for women. Currently, various models of DBT systems are available on the market and the number of installations is rapidly increasing. EUREF, the European Reference Organization for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services, has proposed a preliminary Guideline - protocol for the quality control of the physical and technical aspects of digital breast tomosynthesis systems, with an ultimate aim of providing limiting values guaranteeing proper performance for different applications of DBT. In this work, we introduce an adaptive toolkit developed in accordance with this guideline to facilitate the process of image quality evaluation in DBT performance test. This toolkit implements robust algorithms to quantify various technical parameters of DBT images and provides a convenient user interface in practice. Each test is built into a separate module with configurations set corresponding to the European guideline, which can be easily adapted to different settings and extended with additional tests. This toolkit largely improves the efficiency for image quality evaluation of DBT. It is also going to evolve with the development of protocols in quality control of DBT systems.

On-Line Point Positioning with Single Frame Camera Data

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-15

tion algorithms and methods will be found in robotics and industrial quality control. 1. Project data The project has been defined as "On-line point...development and use of the OLT algorithms and meth- ods for applications in robotics , industrial quality control and autonomous vehicle naviga- tion...Of particular interest in robotics and autonomous vehicle navigation is, for example, the task of determining the position and orientation of a mobile

Delay Discounting Mediates Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality and Risky Sexual Behavior for Low Self-Control Adolescents.

PubMed

Kahn, Rachel E; Holmes, Christopher; Farley, Julee P; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

2015-09-01

Parent-adolescent relationship quality and delay discounting may play important roles in adolescents' sexual decision making processes, and levels of self-control during adolescence could act as a buffer within these factors. This longitudinal study included 219 adolescent (55 % male; mean age = 12.66 years at Wave 1; mean age = 15.10 years at Wave 2) and primary caregiver dyads. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to determine whether delay discounting mediated the association between parent-adolescent relationship quality and adolescents' risky sexual behavior and how this mediated association may differ between those with high versus low self-control. The results revealed parent-adolescent relationship quality plays a role in the development of risky sexual behavior indirectly through levels of delay discounting, but only for adolescents with low self-control. These findings could inform sex education policies and health prevention programs that address adolescent risky sexual behavior.

Recent Developments in Hyperspectral Imaging for Assessment of Food Quality and Safety

PubMed Central

Huang, Hui; Liu, Li; Ngadi, Michael O.

2014-01-01

Hyperspectral imaging which combines imaging and spectroscopic technology is rapidly gaining ground as a non-destructive, real-time detection tool for food quality and safety assessment. Hyperspectral imaging could be used to simultaneously obtain large amounts of spatial and spectral information on the objects being studied. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the recent development of hyperspectral imaging applications in food and food products. The potential and future work of hyperspectral imaging for food quality and safety control is also discussed. PMID:24759119

Discrimination and identification of Q-markers based on 'Spider-web' mode for quality control of traditional Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhenzuo; Yang, Jing; Wang, Yuefei

2017-12-28

The safety and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in clinical practice is directly related to the quality of TCM. And, the quality control of TCM is a pivotal issue to the quality of TCM, but also an obstacle impeding the modernization of TCM. The purpose of this work is to compile and develop a strategy based on discrimination and identification of quality markers (Q-markers) for quality control of TCM. Mainly established by seven variables derived from four dimensions including content, stability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacology, the 'Spider-web' mode was undertaken to assess the Q-marker property of candidate compounds originated from TCM by taking regression area (A) and coefficient variation (CV) of the tested compounds into account. The importance index (ImI), ImI = A × 1/CV, was suggested to focus Q-markers. The compounds with larger regression area (A) and less coefficient variation (CV) are preferentially adopted as Q-markers, which should possess the satisfactory properties of content, stability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacological activity. To the contrary, the compounds are excluded on the grounds of the unsatisfactory Q-markers' property, less regression area (A) and larger coefficient variation (CV), which cannot represent the quality of TCM. The 'Spider-web' mode can filter out the redundant constituents and focus on the key indexes of quality control - Q-markers. The screened Q-markers possess the optimal integrated properties of content, stability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacology among the numerous and complicated ingredients of TCM, which can comprehensively characterize inherent quality of TCM. In summary, the novel strategy established in this work provides a valuable perspective for the quality control of TCM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Power Quality Improvement Utilizing Photovoltaic Generation Connected to a Weak Grid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muljadi, Eduard; Tumbelaka, Hanny H.; Gao, Wenzhong

Microgrid research and development in the past decades have been one of the most popular topics. Similarly, the photovoltaic generation has been surging among renewable generation in the past few years, thanks to the availability, affordability, technology maturity of the PV panels and the PV inverter in the general market. Unfortunately, quite often, the PV installations are connected to weak grids and may have been considered as the culprit of poor power quality affecting other loads in particular sensitive loads connected to the same point of common coupling (PCC). This paper is intended to demystify the renewable generation, and turnsmore » the negative perception into positive revelation of the superiority of PV generation to the power quality improvement in a microgrid system. The main objective of this work is to develop a control method for the PV inverter so that the power quality at the PCC will be improved under various disturbances. The method is to control the reactive current based on utilizing the grid current to counteract the negative impact of the disturbances. The proposed control method is verified in PSIM platform. Promising results have been obtained.« less

Sibling influences on gender development in middle childhood and early adolescence: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

McHale, S M; Updegraff, K A; Helms-Erikson, H; Crouter, A C

2001-01-01

The development of gender role qualities (attitudes, personality, leisure activities) from middle childhood to early adolescence was studied to determine whether siblings' gender role qualities predicted those of their sisters and brothers. Participants were 198 firstborn and second-born siblings (Ms = 10 years 9 months and 8 years 3 months, respectively, in Year 1) and their parents. Families were interviewed annually for 3 years. Firstborn siblings' qualities in Year 1 predicted second-born children's qualities in Year 3 when both parent and child qualities in Year 1 were controlled, a pattern consistent with a social learning model of sibling influence. Parental influence was more evident and sibling influence less evident in predicting firstborns' qualities; for firstborns, sibling influences suggested a de-identification process.

EPA Summaries and Reports on Several State and Local PM Control Measures

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A sample of existing control measures and their effectiveness, along with recommendations for improvement, can help states develop better control measures for reducing PM2.5 in order to attain 2012 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

20 CFR 632.79 - Employment activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS Program Design and Management § 632.79 Employment activities. (a) Community... quality, child care, health care, education, crime prevention and control, prisoner rehabilitation..., pollution control, housing and neighborhood improvement, rural development, conservation, beautification...

20 CFR 632.79 - Employment activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS Program Design and Management § 632.79 Employment activities. (a) Community... quality, child care, health care, education, crime prevention and control, prisoner rehabilitation..., pollution control, housing and neighborhood improvement, rural development, conservation, beautification...

Plant regeneration of Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz. and its chromatographic fingerprint analysis for quality control.

PubMed

Liu, Chun-Zhao; Gao, Min; Guo, Bin

2008-01-01

An efficient micropropagation system for Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz., an important medicinal plant for heart disease, has been developed. Shoot organogenesis occurred from E. breviscapus leaf explants inoculated on a medium supplemented with a combination of plant growth regulators. On average, 17 shoots per leaf explant were produced after 30 days when they were cultured on MS basal salts and vitamin medium containing 5 microM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 5 microM 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). All the regenerated shoots formed complete plantlets on a medium containing 2.5-10 microM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) within 30 days, and 80.2% of the regenerated plantlets survived and grew vigorously in field conditions. Based on the variation in common peaks and the produced amount of the most important bioactive component, scutellarin, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting system was developed for quality control of these micropropagated plants. Chemical constituents in E. breviscapus micropropagated plants varied during plant development from regeneration to maturation, the latter of which showed the most similar phytochemical profile in comparison with mother plants. The regeneration protocol and HPLC fingerprint analysis developed here provided a new approach to quality control of micropropagated plants producing secondary metabolites with significant implications for germplasm conservation.

Can a combination of average of normals and "real time" External Quality Assurance replace Internal Quality Control?

PubMed

Badrick, Tony; Graham, Peter

2018-03-28

Internal Quality Control and External Quality Assurance are separate but related processes that have developed independently in laboratory medicine over many years. They have different sample frequencies, statistical interpretations and immediacy. Both processes have evolved absorbing new understandings of the concept of laboratory error, sample material matrix and assay capability. However, we do not believe at the coalface that either process has led to much improvement in patient outcomes recently. It is the increasing reliability and automation of analytical platforms along with improved stability of reagents that has reduced systematic and random error, which in turn has minimised the risk of running less frequent IQC. We suggest that it is time to rethink the role of both these processes and unite them into a single approach using an Average of Normals model supported by more frequent External Quality Assurance samples. This new paradigm may lead to less confusion for laboratory staff and quicker responses to and identification of out of control situations.

Quality control and improvement of cancer care: what is needed? 4th European Roundtable Meeting (ERTM) May 5th, 2017, Berlin, Germany.

PubMed

Ortmann, Olaf; Helbig, Ulrike; Torode, Julie; Schreck, Stefan; Karjalainen, Sakari; Bettio, Manola; Ringborg, Ulrik; Klinkhammer-Schalke, Monika; Bray, Freddy

2018-06-01

National Cancer Control Plans (NCCPs) often describe structural requirements for high quality cancer care. During the fourth European Roundtable Meeting (ERTM) participants shared learnings from their own national setting to formulate best practice in optimizing communication strategies between parties involved in clinical cancer registries, cancer centers and guideline groups. A decentralized model of data collection close to the patient and caregiver enhances timely completion and the quality of the data captured. Nevertheless, central coordination is necessary to define datasets, indicators, standard settings, education, training and quality control to maintain standards across the network. In particular, interaction of parties in cancer care network has to be established and maintained on a regular basis. After establishing the structural requirements of cancer care networks, communication between the different components and parties is required to analyze outcome data, provide regular reporting to all and develop strategies for continuous improvement of quality across the network.

Effect of alternative postharvest control treatments on the storability of 'Golden Delicious' apples.

PubMed

Moscetti, Roberto; Carletti, Letizia; Monarca, Danilo; Cecchini, Massimo; Stella, Elisabetta; Massantini, Riccardo

2013-08-30

Apples are subject to a high degree of fungal diseases, but the use of synthetic fungicides has been questioned because of public safety concerns, social rejection, and the development of resistance in pathogens. Thus, development of new postharvest treatments against apple fungal pathogens is necessary. Most studies have reported their effectiveness, but not all report the effects on the quality and storability of the fruit. In this study, the effects of physical (hot water), chemical (quercetin) and biological (yeast antagonist) microfungal control on the quality of 'Golden Delicious' apple during storage at 2 ± 0.5 °C, and 90 ± 2% of relative humidity, for 2 months were investigated and compared. Heat-treated apples exhibited peel fruit damage (surface browning and internal breakdown disorders) and promoted ripening in the fruit. The quercetin caustic spray caused the development of peel chemical burn in all treated fruit. Both yeast antagonist and quercetin treatments did not affect the apple ripening process but stimulated an increase in ethylene production and in respiratory activity. The data indicated that the effects on quality and storability were dependent on the method of treatment used, and antagonistic yeast was the best microfungal control because of it did not cause any disorders or negative effects on apple quality during storage. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Proposed quality control guidelines for antimicrobial susceptibility tests using tilmicosin.

PubMed Central

Shryock, T R; White, D W; Werner, C S; Staples, J M

1995-01-01

Quality control guidelines for tilmicosin, a novel veterinary-use-only macrolide, were developed in a multi-laboratory study according to established National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) procedures (M23-T2). Tilmicosin was incorporated into Sensititre plates for broth microdilution endpoint testing and into two lots of 15-micrograms disks for Kirby-Bauer agar disk diffusion testing. One common lot and five unique lots of Mueller-Hinton media were used. (Broth was cation adjusted, and agar was supplemented with 5% defibrinated sheep blood.) Bacteria used for reference strains included Pasteurella haemolytica 128K, Pasteurella multocida ATCC 43137, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (microdilution) and ATCC 25923 (disk). Replicate tests were conducted. Disk diffusion and broth microdilution quality control ranges are proposed. PMID:7714188

Modeling Study on Air Quality Improvement due to Mobile Source Emission control Plan in Seoul Metropolitan Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y. J.; Sunwoo, Y.; Hwang, I.; Song, S.; Sin, J.; Kim, D.

2015-12-01

A very high population and corresponding high number of vehicles in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) are aggravating the air quality of this region. The Korean government continues to make concerted efforts to improve air quality. One of the major policies that the Ministry of Environment of Korea enforced is "The Special Act for Improvement of Air Quality in SMA" and "The 1st Air Quality Management Plan of SMA". Mobile Source emission controls are an important part of the policy. Thus, it is timely to evaluate the air quality improvement due to the controls. Therefore, we performed a quantitative analysis of the difference in air quality using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and December, 2011 was set as the target period to capture the impact of the above control plans. We considered four fuel-type vehicle emission scenarios and compared the air quality improvement differences between them. The scenarios are as follows: no-control, gasoline vehicle control only, diesel vehicle control only, and control of both; utilizing the revised mobile source emissions from the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS), which is the national emission inventory reflecting current policy.In order to improve the accuracy of the modeling data, we developed new temporal allocation coefficients based on traffic volume observation data and spatially reallocated the mobile source emissions using vehicle flow survey data. Furthermore, we calculated the PM10 and PM2.5 emissions of gasoline vehicles which is omitted in CAPSS.The results of the air quality modeling shows that vehicle control plans for both gasoline and diesel lead to a decrease of 0.65ppb~8.75ppb and 0.02㎍/㎥~7.09㎍/㎥ in NO2 and PM10 monthly average concentrations, respectively. The large percentage decreases mainly appear near the center of the metropolis. However, the largest NO2 decrease percentages are found in the northeast region of Gyeonggi-do, which is the province that surrounds the capital of Seoul. Comparing the results between the different scenarios, diesel vehicle control impact dominates relative to the impact of gasoline control. The diesel-only reduction plan shows that NO2 and PM10 improved by 2.93ppb and 3.32㎍/㎥, respectively.

Light-leaking region segmentation of FOG fiber based on quality evaluation of infrared image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Haoting; Wang, Wei; Gao, Feng; Shan, Lianjie; Ma, Yuzhou; Ge, Wenqian

2014-07-01

To improve the assembly reliability of Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG), a light leakage detection system and method is developed. First, an agile movement control platform is designed to implement the pose control of FOG optical path component in 6 Degrees of Freedom (DOF). Second, an infrared camera is employed to capture the working state images of corresponding fibers in optical path component after the manual assembly of FOG; therefore the entire light transmission process of key sections in light-path can be recorded. Third, an image quality evaluation based region segmentation method is developed for the light leakage images. In contrast to the traditional methods, the image quality metrics, including the region contrast, the edge blur, and the image noise level, are firstly considered to distinguish the image characters of infrared image; then the robust segmentation algorithms, including graph cut and flood fill, are all developed for region segmentation according to the specific image quality. Finally, after the image segmentation of light leakage region, the typical light-leaking type, such as the point defect, the wedge defect, and the surface defect can be identified. By using the image quality based method, the applicability of our proposed system can be improved dramatically. Many experiment results have proved the validity and effectiveness of this method.

Total quality management in American industry.

PubMed

Widtfeldt, A K; Widtfeldt, J R

1992-07-01

The definition of total quality management is conformance to customer requirements and specifications, fitness for use, buyer satisfaction, and value at an affordable price. The three individuals who have developed the total quality management concepts in the United States are W.E. Deming, J.M. Juran, and Philip Crosby. The universal principles of total quality management are (a) a customer focus, (b) management commitment, (c) training, (d) process capability and control, and (e) measurement through quality improvement tools. Results from the National Demonstration Project on Quality Improvement in Health Care showed the principles of total quality management could be applied to healthcare.

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF A REMOTELY DEPLOYABLE WATER QUALITY MONITORING SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

A prototype water quality monitoring system is described which offers almost continuous in situ monitoring. The two-man portable system features: (1) a microprocessor controlled central processing unit which allows preprogrammed sampling schedules and reprogramming in situ; (2) a...

Managing Vocabulary Mapping Services

PubMed Central

Che, Chengjian; Monson, Kent; Poon, Kasey B.; Shakib, Shaun C.; Lau, Lee Min

2005-01-01

The efficient management and maintenance of large-scale and high-quality vocabulary mapping is an operational challenge. The 3M Health Information Systems (HIS) Healthcare Data Dictionary (HDD) group developed an information management system to provide controlled mapping services, resulting in improved efficiency and quality maintenance. PMID:16779203

12 CFR 652.60 - Corporation board guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... (a) Your board of directors is responsible for ensuring that you maintain total capital at a level... developing the capital adequacy plan: (1) Capability of management; (2) Strategies and objectives in your business plan; (3) Quality of operating policies, procedures, and internal controls; (4) Quality and...

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents a description of the activities and accomplishments of the American Society for Testing and Materials' U. S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the International Standards Organization's Technical Committee 146 on Air Quality. The purpose of the TAG is to re...

12 CFR 652.60 - Corporation board guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... (a) Your board of directors is responsible for ensuring that you maintain total capital at a level... developing the capital adequacy plan: (1) Capability of management; (2) Strategies and objectives in your business plan; (3) Quality of operating policies, procedures, and internal controls; (4) Quality and...

Quality Assurance through ISO 9000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuckerman, Amy

2000-01-01

Created in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization, in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO 9000 is attempting to develop a world standard to help companies and other institutions measure and monitor their quality-control efforts. This article describes four school districts' successful efforts to secure ISO 9000 certification. (MLH)

TESTING, PERFORMANCE VALIDATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL OF FIELD-PORTABLE INSTRUMENTATION

EPA Science Inventory

New technologies for field-portable monitoring instruments often have a long lead time in development and authorization. Some obstacles to the acceptance of these pilot technologies include concern about liabilities, reluctance to take risks on new technologies, and uncertainty a...

Chemical investigation of commercial grape seed derived products to assess quality and detect adulteration.

PubMed

Villani, Tom S; Reichert, William; Ferruzzi, Mario G; Pasinetti, Giulio M; Simon, James E; Wu, Qingli

2015-03-01

Fundamental concerns in quality control arise due to increasing use of grape seed extract (GSE) and the complex chemical composition of GSE. Proanthocyanidin monomers and oligomers are the major bioactive compounds in GSE. Given no standardized criteria for quality, large variation exists in the composition of commercial GSE supplements. Using HPLC/UV/MS, 21 commercial GSE containing products were purchased and chemically profiled, major compounds quantitated, and compared against authenticated grape seed extract, peanut skin extract, and pine bark extract. The antioxidant capacity and total polyphenol content for each sample was also determined and compared using standard techniques. Nine products were adulterated, found to contain peanut skin extract. A wide degree of variability in chemical composition was detected in commercial products, demonstrating the need for development of quality control standards for GSE. A TLC method was developed to allow for rapid and inexpensive detection of adulteration in GSE by peanut skin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Application of fingerprint chromatogram in quality control of Shen-Mai injection].

PubMed

Shi, Xian-zhe; Yang, Jun; Zhao, Chun-xia; Xiong, Jian-hui; Xu, Guo-wang

2002-07-01

The theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine require some comprehensive methods to assess quality of the Chinese herbal medication. Fingerprint chromatogram is one of the feasible approaches to evaluate the quality of Chinese herbal medication. So the fingerprint chromatogram of Shen-Mai injection was established by using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The chromatographic conditions were as follows: a Hypersil C18 column was used; the mobile phase was composed of water (A) and acetontrile (B) with linear gradient elution (0-50 min, 5%-95% B, volume fraction); the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and the UV absorbance detection was set at 202 nm. The peak-area ratios of twenty-three fingerprint peaks and internal standard (diphenyl) were taken as the criteria for quality control. The quality differences in various batches and various manufacturers of Shen-Mai injections were investigated by projection discriminance based on principal component analysis. The results show the method developed is convenient, reliable and applicable for the quality control analysis of Shen-Mai injection.

Piloting Vertical Flight Aircraft: A Conference on Flying Qualities and Human Factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanken, Christopher L. (Editor); Whalley, Matthew S. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This document contains papers from a specialists' meeting entitled 'Piloting Vertical Flight Aircraft: A Conference on Flying Qualities and Human Factors.' Vertical flight aircraft, including helicopters and a variety of Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) concepts, place unique requirements on human perception, control, and performance for the conduct of their design missions. The intent of this conference was to examine, for these vehicles, advances in: (1) design of flight control systems for ADS-33C standards; (2) assessment of human factors influences of cockpit displays and operational procedures; (3) development of VTOL design and operational criteria; and (4) development of theoretical methods or models for predicting pilot/vehicle performance and mission suitability. A secondary goal of the conference was to provide an initial venue for enhanced interaction between human factors and handling qualities specialists.

Commercialization of veterinary viral vaccines.

PubMed

Flore, P H

2004-12-01

If vaccines are to reliably prevent disease, they must be developed, produced and quality-controlled according to very strict regulations and procedures. Veterinary viral vaccine registrations are governed by different rules in different countries, but these rules all emphasize that the quality of the raw materials--the cells, eggs, animals or plants that are used in production--need to be carefully controlled. The veterinary vaccine business is also very cost-conscious. Emphasis over the last 5-10 years has therefore been to develop culture systems that minimize labor and sterility problems and thus provide for reliable and cost-effective production. Implementing these often more complex systems in a production environment takes considerable effort, first in scale-up trials and further down the line in convincing production personnel to change their familiar system for something new and possibly untried. To complete scale-up trials successfully, it is absolutely necessary to understand the biochemistry of the cells and the influence of the virus on the cells under scale-up and later production conditions. Once a viral product can be produced on a large scale, it is imperative that the quality of the end-product is controlled in an intelligent way. One needs to know whether the end-product performs in the animal as was intended during its conception in the research and development department. The development of the appropriate tests to demonstrate this plays an important role in the successful development of a vaccine.

Japanese style total quality control: A first hand experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, S. C.

1991-11-01

The scope, concepts and practices of Total Quality Control (TQC) as operated in Japan today are described. The following mechanisms and elements are introduced: policy deployment, cross functional management, small group activities, suggestion systems, standardization, the TQC promotion department, and TQC education. It is shown on a practical level, how TQC operates in the research and engineering divisions of the aeroengine and space operation at Ishikawajima Harima Industries in Japan. Japanese style TQC is a well developed, well promoted, well structured, common approach to achieving customer satisfaction through continuous improvements. Furthermore, TQC itself is being continuously improved with the Japanese still refining, extending, and developing TQC.

Production and engineering methods for CARB: TEK (trade name) batteries in fork lift trucks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, J. C.

1975-03-01

The purpose of this program is to develop the manufacturing technology of the Carb Tek molten salt Li/Cl battery to the prototype level. This purpose is being accomplished by actually constructing cells on a pilot line, optimizing process steps, establishing quality control procedures, and engineering appropriate changes. The majority of the cell work is performed in a controlled argon atmosphere. Results show that the carbon selected for the cell cathode can develop the required 5 Whr/cubic inch even when damaged by stress cracks. Anode contamination and fabrication problems have been reduced by a new alloying technique. Cell yields are dependent on weld quality.

Construction of Genetically Engineered Streptococcus gordonii Strains to Provide Control in QPCR Assays for Assessing Microbiological Quality in Recreational Water.

EPA Science Inventory

Quantitative PCR (QPCR) methods for beach monitoring by estimating abundance of Enterococcus spp. in recreational waters use internal, positive controls which address only the amplification of target DNA. In this study two internal, positive controls were developed to control for...

Quality Space and Launch Requirements, Addendum to AS9100C

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-08

45 8.9.1 Statistical Process Control (SPC) .......................................................................... 45...SMC Space and Missile Systems Center SME Subject Matter Expert SOW Statement of Work SPC Statistical Process Control SPO System Program Office SRP...occur without any individual data exceeding the control limits. Control limits are developed using standard statistical methods or other approved

Observability-Based Guidance and Sensor Placement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinson, Brian T.

Control system performance is highly dependent on the quality of sensor information available. In a growing number of applications, however, the control task must be accomplished with limited sensing capabilities. This thesis addresses these types of problems from a control-theoretic point-of-view, leveraging system nonlinearities to improve sensing performance. Using measures of observability as an information quality metric, guidance trajectories and sensor distributions are designed to improve the quality of sensor information. An observability-based sensor placement algorithm is developed to compute optimal sensor configurations for a general nonlinear system. The algorithm utilizes a simulation of the nonlinear system as the source of input data, and convex optimization provides a scalable solution method. The sensor placement algorithm is applied to a study of gyroscopic sensing in insect wings. The sensor placement algorithm reveals information-rich areas on flexible insect wings, and a comparison to biological data suggests that insect wings are capable of acting as gyroscopic sensors. An observability-based guidance framework is developed for robotic navigation with limited inertial sensing. Guidance trajectories and algorithms are developed for range-only and bearing-only navigation that improve navigation accuracy. Simulations and experiments with an underwater vehicle demonstrate that the observability measure allows tuning of the navigation uncertainty.

Continuous integration and quality control for scientific software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neidhardt, A.; Ettl, M.; Brisken, W.; Dassing, R.

2013-08-01

Modern software has to be stable, portable, fast and reliable. This is going to be also more and more important for scientific software. But this requires a sophisticated way to inspect, check and evaluate the quality of source code with a suitable, automated infrastructure. A centralized server with a software repository and a version control system is one essential part, to manage the code basis and to control the different development versions. While each project can be compiled separately, the whole code basis can also be compiled with one central “Makefile”. This is used to create automated, nightly builds. Additionally all sources are inspected automatically with static code analysis and inspection tools, which check well-none error situations, memory and resource leaks, performance issues, or style issues. In combination with an automatic documentation generator it is possible to create the developer documentation directly from the code and the inline comments. All reports and generated information are presented as HTML page on a Web server. Because this environment increased the stability and quality of the software of the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell tremendously, it is now also available for scientific communities. One regular customer is already the developer group of the DiFX software correlator project.

Event-based design tool for construction site erosion and sediment controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trenouth, William R.; Gharabaghi, Bahram

2015-09-01

This paper provides additional discussion surrounding the novel event-based soil loss models developed by Trenouth and Gharabaghi (2015) for the design of erosion and sediment controls (ESCs) for various phases of construction - from pre-development to post-development conditions. The datasets for the study were obtained from three Ontario sites - Greensborough, Cookstown, and Alcona - in addition to datasets mined from the literature for three additional sites - Treynor, Iowa, Coshocton, Ohio and Cordoba, Spain. Model performances were evaluated for each of the study sites, and quantified using commonly-reported statistics. This work is nested within a broader conceptual framework, which includes the estimation of ambient receiving water quality, the prediction of event mean runoff quality for a given design storm, and the calculation of the required level of protection using adequate ESCs to meet receiving water quality guidelines. These models allow design engineers and regulatory agencies to assess the potential risk of ecological damage to receiving waters due to inadequate soil erosion and sediment control practices using dynamic scenario forecasting when considering rapidly changing land use conditions during various phases of construction, typically for a 2- or 5-year design storm return period.

Developing a consumer evaluation tool of weight control strategy advertisements on the Internet.

PubMed

Luevorasirikul, Kanokrat; Gray, Nicola J; Anderson, Claire W

2008-06-01

To develop two evaluation tools for weight loss and weight gain advertisements on the Internet in order to help consumers to evaluate the quality of information within these advertisements. One hundred websites identified by Internet search engines for weight loss and weight gain strategies (50 websites each) were evaluated using two specific scoring instruments, developed by adapting questions from the 'DISCERN' tool and reviewing all related weight control guidelines and advertising regulations. The validity and reliability of the adapted tools were tested. Our evaluation tools rated the information from most websites as poor quality (70%). In the case of weight loss strategies, statements about rapid (18%) and permanent (28%) weight loss caused concern as well as lack of sensible advice about dieting and a lack of product warnings (84%). Safety concerns relating to weight gain products were the lack of warnings about side effects in products containing steroids and creatine (92%). The adapted tools exhibited acceptable validity and reliability. Quality of information within weight control advertisements on the Internet was generally poor. Problems of false claims, little advice on healthy ways to modify weight and few warnings on side effects have been highlighted in this study.

Romantic relationship development: The interplay between age and relationship length.

PubMed

Lantagne, Ann; Furman, Wyndol

2017-09-01

The present study explored how romantic relationship qualities develop with age and relationship length. Eight waves of data on romantic relationships were collected over 10.5 years during adolescence and early adulthood from a community-based sample in a Western U.S. city (100 males, 100 females; M age Wave 1 = 15.83). Measures of support, negative interactions, control, and jealousy were derived from interviews and questionnaire measures. Using multilevel modeling, main effects of age were found for jealousy, and main effects of relationship length were found for each quality. However, main effects were qualified by significant age by length interactions for each and every relationship quality. Short relationships increased in support with age. In comparison, long-term adolescent relationships were notable in that they were both supportive and turbulent, with elevated levels of support, negative interactions, control, and jealousy. With age, long-term relationships continued to have high levels of support, but decreased in negative interactions, control, and jealousy. Present findings highlight how the interplay between age and relationship length is key for understanding the development of romantic relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Cost Effective Prototyping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickman, Jerry L.; Kundu, Nikhil K.

1996-01-01

This laboratory exercise seeks to develop a cost effective prototype development. The exercise has the potential of linking part design, CAD, mold development, quality control, metrology, mold flow, materials testing, fixture design, automation, limited parts production and other issues as related to plastics manufacturing.

Development of evaluation technique of GMAW welding quality based on statistical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Shengqiang; Terasaki, Hidenri; Komizo, Yuichi; Hu, Shengsun; Chen, Donggao; Ma, Zhihua

2014-11-01

Nondestructive techniques for appraising gas metal arc welding(GMAW) faults plays a very important role in on-line quality controllability and prediction of the GMAW process. On-line welding quality controllability and prediction have several disadvantages such as high cost, low efficiency, complication and greatly being affected by the environment. An enhanced, efficient evaluation technique for evaluating welding faults based on Mahalanobis distance(MD) and normal distribution is presented. In addition, a new piece of equipment, designated the weld quality tester(WQT), is developed based on the proposed evaluation technique. MD is superior to other multidimensional distances such as Euclidean distance because the covariance matrix used for calculating MD takes into account correlations in the data and scaling. The values of MD obtained from welding current and arc voltage are assumed to follow a normal distribution. The normal distribution has two parameters: the mean µ and standard deviation σ of the data. In the proposed evaluation technique used by the WQT, values of MD located in the range from zero to µ+3 σ are regarded as "good". Two experiments which involve changing the flow of shielding gas and smearing paint on the surface of the substrate are conducted in order to verify the sensitivity of the proposed evaluation technique and the feasibility of using WQT. The experimental results demonstrate the usefulness of the WQT for evaluating welding quality. The proposed technique can be applied to implement the on-line welding quality controllability and prediction, which is of great importance to design some novel equipment for weld quality detection.

Linked Analysis of East Asia Emission Reduction Pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.; Woo, J. H.; Bu, C.; Lee, Y.; Kim, J.; Jang, Y.; Park, M.

2017-12-01

Air pollution and its impacts over the Northeast Asia are very severe because of the massive pollutant emissions and high population. Korea has been trying to improve air quality with the enhanced environmental legislation. The air quality over Korea, however, does not entirely dependent on its local emissions. Transboundary air pollution from China highly affects Korean atmosphere. The purpose of this research is to understand role of local and transbounday efforts to improve air quality changes over Korea. In this research, we have tried to set up the multiple emission scenario pathways for Korea and China using IIASA's GAINS (Greenhouse gas - Air pollution Interactions aNd Synergies) modeling framework. More up-to-date growth factors and control policy packets were made using regional socio-economic data and control policy information from local governments and international statistics. Four major scenario pathways, 1) Base (Baseline: current legislation), 2) OTB/OTB(On the book/On the way : existing control measure/planed control measure), 3) BOTW_GHG(Beyond on the way : OTW with GHG reduction plan), 4) BOTW_NH3 (OTW with additional NH3 reduction measure) were developed to represent air quality improvement pathways in consideration of both Korean and Chinese efforts. Strict ambient PM2.5 standards from Seoul metropolitan Air quality Improvement Plan(SAIP) seems too enthusiastic without linking air quality control efforts of China. Step-by-step emission controls and following air quality, control cost, health impact from each scenario will be presented at the conference. This subject is supported by Korea Ministry of Environment as "Climate Change Correspondence Program". And This work was supported under the framework of national strategy project on fine particulate matters by Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

Air Emissions Factors and Quantification

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Emissions factors are used in developing air emissions inventories for air quality management decisions and in developing emissions control strategies. This area provides technical information on and support for the use of emissions factors.

Patient Preferences for Pain Management in Advanced Cancer: Results from a Discrete Choice Experiment.

PubMed

Meads, David M; O'Dwyer, John L; Hulme, Claire T; Chintakayala, Phani; Vinall-Collier, Karen; Bennett, Michael I

2017-10-01

Pain from advanced cancer remains prevalent, severe and often under-treated. The aim of this study was to conduct a discrete choice experiment with patients to understand their preferences for pain management services and inform service development. Focus groups were used to develop the attributes and levels of the discrete choice experiment. The attributes were: waiting time, type of healthcare professional, out-of-pocket costs, side-effect control, quality of communication, quality of information and pain control. Patients completed the discrete choice experiment along with clinical and health-related quality of life questions. Conditional and mixed logit models were used to analyse the data. Patients with cancer pain (n = 221) and within palliative care services completed the survey (45% were female, mean age 64.6 years; age range 21-92 years). The most important aspects of pain management were: good pain control, zero out-of-pocket costs and good side-effect control. Poor or moderate pain control and £30 costs drew the highest negative preferences. Respondents preferred control of side effects and provision of better information and communication, over access to certain healthcare professionals. Those with lower health-related quality of life were less willing to wait for treatment and willing to incur higher costs. The presence of a carer influenced preferences. Outcome attributes were more important than process attributes but the latter were still valued. Thus, supporting self-management, for example by providing better information on pain may be a worthwhile endeavour. However, service provision may need to account for individual characteristics given the heterogeneity in preferences.

Development and demonstration of manufacturing processes for fabricating graphite/LARC-160 polyimide structural elements, part 4, paragraph B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

A quality assurance program was developed which included specifications for celion/LARC-160 polyimide materials and quality control of materials and processes. The effects of monomers and/or polymer variables and prepeg variables on the processibility of celion/LARC prepeg were included. Processes for fabricating laminates, honeycomb core panels, and chopped fiber moldings were developed. Specimens and conduct tests were fabricated to qualify the processes for fabrication of demonstration components.

A new hyperspectral imaging based device for quality control in plastic recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonifazi, G.; D'Agostini, M.; Dall'Ava, A.; Serranti, S.; Turioni, F.

2013-05-01

The quality control of contamination level in the recycled plastics stream has been identified as an important key factor for increasing the value of the recycled material by both plastic recycling and compounder industries. Existing quality control methods for the detection of both plastics and non-plastics contaminants in the plastic waste streams at different stages of the industrial process (e.g. feed, intermediate and final products) are currently based on the manual collection from the stream of a sample and on the subsequent off-line laboratory analyses. The results of such analyses are usually available after some hours, or sometimes even some days, after the material has been processed. The laboratory analyses are time-consuming and expensive (both in terms of equipment cost and their maintenance and of labour cost).Therefore, a fast on-line assessment to monitor the plastic waste feed streams and to characterize the composition of the different plastic products, is fundamental to increase the value of secondary plastics. The paper is finalized to describe and evaluate the development of an HSI-based device and of the related software architectures and processing algorithms for quality assessment of plastics in recycling plants, with particular reference to polyolefins (PO). NIR-HSI sensing devices coupled with multivariate data analysis methods was demonstrated as an objective, rapid and non-destructive technique that can be used for on-line quality and process control in the recycling process of POs. In particular, the adoption of the previous mentioned HD&SW integrated architectures can provide a solution to one of the major problems of the recycling industry, which is the lack of an accurate quality certification of materials obtained by recycling processes. These results could therefore assist in developing strategies to certify the composition of recycled PO products.

An approach to quality and performance control in a computer-assisted clinical chemistry laboratory.

PubMed Central

Undrill, P E; Frazer, S C

1979-01-01

A locally developed, computer-based clinical chemistry laboratory system has been in operation since 1970. This utilises a Digital Equipment Co Ltd PDP 12 and an interconnected PDP 8/F computer. Details are presented of the performance and quality control techniques incorporated into the system. Laboratory performance is assessed through analysis of results from fixed-level control sera as well as from cumulative sum methods. At a simple level the presentation may be considered purely indicative, while at a more sophisticated level statistical concepts have been introduced to aid the laboratory controller in decision-making processes. PMID:438340

Development of inferential sensors for real-time quality control of water-level data for the Everglades Depth Estimation Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daamen, Ruby C.; Edwin A. Roehl, Jr.; Conrads, Paul

2010-01-01

A technology often used for industrial applications is “inferential sensor.” Rather than installing a redundant sensor to measure a process, such as an additional waterlevel gage, an inferential sensor, or virtual sensor, is developed that estimates the processes measured by the physical sensor. The advantage of an inferential sensor is that it provides a redundant signal to the sensor in the field but without exposure to environmental threats. In the event that a gage does malfunction, the inferential sensor provides an estimate for the period of missing data. The inferential sensor also can be used in the quality assurance and quality control of the data. Inferential sensors for gages in the EDEN network are currently (2010) under development. The inferential sensors will be automated so that the real-time EDEN data will continuously be compared to the inferential sensor signal and digital reports of the status of the real-time data will be sent periodically to the appropriate support personnel. The development and application of inferential sensors is easily transferable to other real-time hydrologic monitoring networks.

Development of EPA aircraft piston engine emission standards. [for air quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houtman, W.

1976-01-01

Piston engine light aircraft are significant sources of carbon monoxide in the vicinity of high activity general aviation airports. Substantial reductions in carbon monoxide were achieved by fuel mixture leaning using improved fuel management systems. The air quality impact of the hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions from piston engine light aircraft were insufficient to justify the design constraints being confronted in present control system developments.

Control of maglev vehicles with aerodynamic and guideway disturbances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flueckiger, Karl; Mark, Steve; Caswell, Ruth; Mccallum, Duncan

1994-01-01

A modeling, analysis, and control design methodology is presented for maglev vehicle ride quality performance improvement as measured by the Pepler Index. Ride quality enhancement is considered through active control of secondary suspension elements and active aerodynamic surfaces mounted on the train. To analyze and quantify the benefits of active control, the authors have developed a five degree-of-freedom lumped parameter model suitable for describing a large class of maglev vehicles, including both channel and box-beam guideway configurations. Elements of this modeling capability have been recently employed in studies sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). A perturbation analysis about an operating point, defined by vehicle and average crosswind velocities, yields a suitable linearized state space model for multivariable control system analysis and synthesis. Neglecting passenger compartment noise, the ride quality as quantified by the Pepler Index is readily computed from the system states. A statistical analysis is performed by modeling the crosswind disturbances and guideway variations as filtered white noise, whereby the Pepler Index is established in closed form through the solution to a matrix Lyapunov equation. Data is presented which indicates the anticipated ride quality achieved through various closed-loop control arrangements.

Effect of in-utero diethylstilboestrol exposure on human oocyte quality and fertilization in a programme of in-vitro fertilization.

PubMed

Kerjean, A; Poirot, C; Epelboin, S; Jouannet, P

1999-06-01

Genital tract abnormalities and adverse pregnancy outcome are well known in women exposed in utero to diethylstilboestrol (DES). Data about adverse reproductive performance in women exposed to DES have been published, including controversial reports of menstrual dysfunction, poor responses after ovarian stimulation, oocyte maturation and fertilization abnormalities. We compared oocyte quality, in-vitro fertilization results and embryo quality for women exposed in utero to DES with a control group. Between 1989 and 1996, 56 DES-exposed women who had 125 in-vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts were retrospectively compared to a control group of 45 women with tubal disease, who underwent 73 IVF attempts. Couples suffering from male infertility were excluded. The parameters compared were oocyte quality (maturation abnormalities, immature oocyte, mature oocyte), fertilization and cleavage rate (per treated and metaphase II oocytes), and embryo quality (number and grade). We found no significant difference in oocyte maturational status, fertilization rates, cleavage rates, embryo quality and development between DES-exposed subjects and control subjects. These results suggest that in-utero exposure to DES has no significant influence on oocyte quality and fertilization ability as judged during IVF attempts.

A New Quality Control Method base on IRMCD for Wind Profiler Observation towards Future Assimilation Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Min; Zhang, Yu

2017-04-01

A wind profiler network with a total of 65 profiling radars was operated by the MOC/CMA in China until July 2015. In this study, a quality control procedure is constructed to incorporate the profiler data from the wind-profiling network into the local data assimilation and forecasting system (BJRUC). The procedure applies a blacklisting check that removes stations with gross errors and an outlier check that rejects data with large deviations from the background. Instead of the bi-weighting method, which has been commonly implemented in outlier elimination for one-dimensional scalar observations, an outlier elimination method is developed based on the iterated reweighted minimum covariance determinant (IRMCD) for multi-variate observations such as wind profiler data. A quality control experiment is separately performed for subsets containing profiler data tagged in parallel with/without rain flags at every 00UTC/12UTC from 20 June to 30 Sep 2015. From the results, we find that with the quality control, the frequency distributions of the differences between the observations and model background become more Gaussian-like and meet the requirements of a Gaussian distribution for data assimilation. Further intensive assessment for each quality control step reveals that the stations rejected by blacklisting contain poor data quality, and the IRMCD rejects outliers in a robust and physically reasonable manner.

Verification Testing of Air Pollution Control Technology Quality Management Plan Revision 2.3

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Air Pollution Control Technology Verification Center was established in 1995 as part of the EPA’s Environmental Technology Verification Program to accelerate the development and commercialization of improved environmental technologies’ performance.

WLN's Database: New Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegman, Bruce N.

1988-01-01

Describes features of the Western Library Network's database, including the database structure, authority control, contents, quality control, and distribution methods. The discussion covers changes in distribution necessitated by increasing telecommunications costs and the development of optical data disk products. (CLB)

Oregon Department of Transportation research leader : fall 2008.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

The newsletter includes: : 1) To ensure safe travel through construction work zones, Traffic Control Plans (TCPs) are developed to communicate required traffic control measures to the construction team. The quality of the design and implementation of...

Differences between genomic-based and pedigree-based relationships in a chicken population, as a function of quality control and pedigree links among individuals.

PubMed

Wang, H; Misztal, I; Legarra, A

2014-12-01

This work studied differences between expected (calculated from pedigree) and realized (genomic, from markers) relationships in a real population, the influence of quality control on these differences, and their fit to current theory. Data included 4940 pure line chickens across five generations genotyped for 57,636 SNP. Pedigrees (5762 animals) were available for the five generations, pedigree starting on the first one. Three levels of quality control were used. With no quality control, mean difference between realized and expected relationships for different type of relationships was ≤ 0.04 with standard deviation ≤ 0.10. With strong quality control (call rate ≥ 0.9, parent-progeny conflicts, minor allele frequency and use of only autosomal chromosomes), these numbers reduced to ≤ 0.02 and ≤ 0.04, respectively. While the maximum difference was 1.02 with the complete data, it was only 0.18 with the latest three generations of genotypes (but including all pedigrees). Variation of expected minus realized relationships agreed with theoretical developments and suggests an effective number of loci of 70 for this population. When the pedigree is complete and as deep as the genotypes, the standard deviation of difference between the expected and realized relationships is around 0.04, all categories confounded. Standard deviation of differences larger than 0.10 suggests bad quality control, mistakes in pedigree recording or genotype labelling, or insufficient depth of pedigree. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

EAC and the Development of National and European Gateways to Archives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottosson, Per-Gunnar

2005-01-01

In the development of gateways to archives there are two different approaches, one focusing on the descriptions of the material and the other on the creators. Search and retrieval with precision and quality require controlled access points and name authority control. National registries of private archives have a long tradition in implementing the…

Development of a reference Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) for the monitoring and control of grid stability and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ndilimabaka, Hervé; Blanc, Isabelle

2014-08-01

This paper discusses the details of the development of a Phasor Measurement Unit regarding the requirements of the IEEE C37.118-2005 synchrophasor standard relative to steady-state conditions on grid monitoring and control. This phasor measurement unit is intended to be used for field tests sooner.

Organizational Culture in Community Colleges: Connecting Market Orientation, Quality, and Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManimon, Debra J.

2012-01-01

To enhance their competitive advantage in the marketplace, many business leaders develop market orientation strategies designed to increase customer engagement. These market orientation strategies include improvement in service delivery, relationship management, customer satisfaction, and quality control methods. There is a lack of understanding…

BIOWALL’S IMPACT ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY

EPA Science Inventory

This project will collect data on air quality and energy consumption for a variety of Biowall configurations in a controlled laboratory environment.  This data will be evaluated for statistical significance and used to develop and validate an energy/IAQ model of the Bi...

75 FR 18575 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-12

... perfluorocarbon QA/QC quality assurance/quality control R&D research and development RFA Regulatory Flexibility... Climate Change.'' Joint Global Change Research Institute, Battelle Pacific Northwest Division. PNWD-3602... research, demonstration, and deployment programs throughout the world, are building confidence that...

High School Environmental Science Course Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Edward P.; Korman, Barbara

A course in environmental science was developed to increase course options for students of all abilities and interest levels. Major topic areas of the course include: introduction to ecological principles and ecosystems; extinction of species; human population dynamics; agricultural systems and pest control; air quality; water quality; solid…

Development of the Global Measles Laboratory Network.

PubMed

Featherstone, David; Brown, David; Sanders, Ray

2003-05-15

The routine reporting of suspected measles cases and laboratory testing of samples from these cases is the backbone of measles surveillance. The Global Measles Laboratory Network (GMLN) has developed standards for laboratory confirmation of measles and provides training resources for staff of network laboratories, reference materials and expertise for the development and quality control of testing procedures, and accurate information for the Measles Mortality Reduction and Regional Elimination Initiative. The GMLN was developed along the lines of the successful Global Polio Laboratory Network, and much of the polio laboratory infrastructure was utilized for measles. The GMLN has developed as countries focus on measles control activities following successful eradication of polio. Currently more than 100 laboratories are part of the global network and follow standardized testing and reporting procedures. A comprehensive laboratory accreditation process will be introduced in 2002 with six quality assurance and performance indicators.

Discussion of the quality control and performance testing of ultrasound diagnostic equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Junjie

2018-03-01

In recent years, with the rapid development of ultrasonography, the application and popularization of new technology used in ultrasound equipment, the level of providing diagnostic information for doctors enhances unceasingly, which has become the indispensable diagnostic tool for medical institutions. The performance of equipment is directly related to the doctor’s diagnosis and the patient’s health, therefore, it is very important to choose a good method for quality control and performance testing.

Improving Elementary School Quality through the Use of a Social-Emotional and Character Development Program: A Matched-Pair, Cluster-Randomized, Controlled Trial in Hawai'i

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Frank J.; Vuchinich, Samuel; Acock, Alan; Washburn, Isaac J.; Flay, Brian R.

2012-01-01

Background: School safety and quality affect student learning and success. This study examined the effects of a comprehensive elementary school-wide social-emotional and character education program, Positive Action, on teacher, parent, and student perceptions of school safety and quality utilizing a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled…

Weld analysis and control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Larry Z. (Inventor); Rodgers, Michael H. (Inventor); Powell, Bradley W. (Inventor); Burroughs, Ivan A. (Inventor); Goode, K. Wayne (Inventor)

1994-01-01

The invention is a Weld Analysis and Control System developed for active weld system control through real time weld data acquisition. Closed-loop control is based on analysis of weld system parameters and weld geometry. The system is adapted for use with automated welding apparatus having a weld controller which is capable of active electronic control of all aspects of a welding operation. Enhanced graphics and data displays are provided for post-weld analysis. The system provides parameter acquisition, including seam location which is acquired for active torch cross-seam positioning. Torch stand-off is also monitored for control. Weld bead and parent surface geometrical parameters are acquired as an indication of weld quality. These parameters include mismatch, peaking, undercut, underfill, crown height, weld width, puddle diameter, and other measurable information about the weld puddle regions, such as puddle symmetry, etc. These parameters provide a basis for active control as well as post-weld quality analysis and verification. Weld system parameters, such as voltage, current and wire feed rate, are also monitored and archived for correlation with quality parameters.

The Development of the CONDUIT Advanced Control System Design and Evaluation Interface with a Case Study Application to an Advanced Fly by Wire Helicopter Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colbourne, Jason

1999-01-01

This report details the development and use of CONDUIT (Control Designer's Unified Interface). CONDUIT is a design tool created at Ames Research Center for the purpose of evaluating and optimizing aircraft control systems against handling qualities. Three detailed design problems addressing the RASCAL UH-60A Black Hawk are included in this report to show the application of CONDUIT to helicopter control system design.

Advanced manufacturing development of a composite empennage component for L-1011 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alva, T.; Henkel, J.; Johnson, R.; Carll, B.; Jackson, A.; Mosesian, B.; Brozovic, R.; Obrien, R.; Eudaily, R.

1982-01-01

This is the final report of technical work conducted during the fourth phase of a multiphase program having the objective of the design, development and flight evaluation of an advanced composite empennage component manufactured in a production environment at a cost competitive with those of its metal counterpart, and at a weight savings of at least 20 percent. The empennage component selected for this program is the vertical fin box of the L-1011 aircraft. The box structure extends from the fuselage production joint to the tip rib and includes front and rear spars. During Phase 4 of the program, production quality tooling was designed and manufactured to produce three sets of covers, ribs, spars, miscellaneous parts, and subassemblies to assemble three complete ACVF units. Recurring and nonrecurring cost data were compiled and documented in the updated producibility/design to cost plan. Nondestruct inspections, quality control tests, and quality acceptance tests were performed in accordance with the quality assurance plan and the structural integrity control plan. Records were maintained to provide traceability of material and parts throughout the manufacturing development phase. It was also determined that additional tooling would not be required to support the current and projected L-1011 production rate.

A Review of Surface Water Quality Models

PubMed Central

Li, Shibei; Jia, Peng; Qi, Changjun; Ding, Feng

2013-01-01

Surface water quality models can be useful tools to simulate and predict the levels, distributions, and risks of chemical pollutants in a given water body. The modeling results from these models under different pollution scenarios are very important components of environmental impact assessment and can provide a basis and technique support for environmental management agencies to make right decisions. Whether the model results are right or not can impact the reasonability and scientificity of the authorized construct projects and the availability of pollution control measures. We reviewed the development of surface water quality models at three stages and analyzed the suitability, precisions, and methods among different models. Standardization of water quality models can help environmental management agencies guarantee the consistency in application of water quality models for regulatory purposes. We concluded the status of standardization of these models in developed countries and put forward available measures for the standardization of these surface water quality models, especially in developing countries. PMID:23853533

Development of the supply chain oriented quality assurance system for aerospace manufacturing SMEs and its implementation perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, Abdullahi; Cheng, Kai

2016-10-01

Aerospace manufacturing SMEs are continuously facing the challenge on managing their supply chain and complying with the aerospace manufacturing quality standard requirement due to their lack of resources and the nature of business. In this paper, the ERP system based approach is presented to quality control and assurance work in light of seamless integration of in-process production data and information internally and therefore managing suppliers more effectively and efficiently. The Aerospace Manufacturing Quality Assurance Standard (BS/EN9100) is one of the most recognised and essential protocols for developing the industry-operated-and-driven quality assurance systems. The research investigates using the ERP based system as an enabler to implement BS/EN9100 quality management system at manufacturing SMEs and the associated implementation and application perspectives. An application case study on a manufacturing SME is presented by using the SAP based implementation, which helps further evaluate and validate the approach and application system development.

Manufacturing Squares: An Integrative Statistical Process Control Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coy, Steven P.

2016-01-01

In the exercise, students in a junior-level operations management class are asked to manufacture a simple product. Given product specifications, they must design a production process, create roles and design jobs for each team member, and develop a statistical process control plan that efficiently and effectively controls quality during…

Effect of home care service on the quality of life in patients with gynecological cancer.

PubMed

Aktas, Demet; Terzioglu, Fusun

2015-01-01

The purpose of the research was to determine the effect of home care service on the quality of life in patients with gynecological cancer. This randomized case control study was carried out in a womans hospital between September 2011 and February 2012. Women undergoing gynecological cancer treatment were separated into intervention and control groups, of 35 patients each. The intervention group was provided with nursing care service through hospital and home visits (1st, 12th weeks) within the framework of a specifically developed nursing care plan. The control group was monitored without any intervention through the hospital routine protocols (1st, 12th weeks). Data were collected using An Interview Form, Home Visit Monitoring Form and Quality of Life Scale/Cancer Survivors. Effects of home care service on the quality of life in gynecological cancer patients were investigated using chi-square tests, McNemar's test, independent t-test and ANOVA. This study found that the intervention group receiving home care service had a moderately high quality of life (average mean: 6.01±0.64), while the control group had comparatively lower quality (average mean: 4.35±0.79) within the 12 week post- discharge period (p<0.05). This study found home care services to be efficient in improving the quality of life in patients with gynecological cancer.

Facility versus unit level reporting of quality indicators in nursing homes when performance monitoring is the goal

PubMed Central

Norton, Peter G; Murray, Michael; Doupe, Malcolm B; Cummings, Greta G; Poss, Jeff W; Squires, Janet E; Teare, Gary F; Estabrooks, Carole A

2014-01-01

Objectives To demonstrate the benefit of defining operational management units in nursing homes and computing quality indicators on these units as well as on the whole facility. Design Calculation of adjusted Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimum Data Set 2.0 (RAI–MDS 2.0) quality indicators for: PRU05 (prevalence of residents with a stage 2–4 pressure ulcer), PAI0X (prevalence of residents with pain) and DRG01 (prevalence of residents receiving an antipsychotic with no diagnosis of psychosis), for quarterly assessments between 2007 and 2011 at unit and facility levels. Comparisons of these risk-adjusted quality indicators using statistical process control (control charts). Setting A representative sample of 30 urban nursing homes in the three Canadian Prairie Provinces. Measurements Explicit decision rules were developed and tested to determine whether the control charts demonstrated improving, worsening, unchanging or unclassifiable trends over the time period. Unit and facility performance were compared. Results In 48.9% of the units studied, unit control chart performance indicated different changes in quality over the reporting period than did the facility chart. Examples are provided to illustrate that these differences lead to quite different quality interventions. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the necessity of considering facility-level and unit-level measurement when calculating quality indicators derived from the RAI–MDS 2.0 data, and quite probably from any RAI measures. PMID:24523428

Implementation of "Quality by Design (QbD)" Approach for the Development of 5-Fluorouracil Loaded Thermosensitive Hydrogel.

PubMed

Dalwadi, Chintan; Patel, Gayatri

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate Quality by Design (QbD) principle for the preparation of hydrogel products to prove both practicability and utility of executing QbD concept to hydrogel based controlled release systems. Product and process understanding will help in decreasing the variability of critical material and process parameters, which give quality product output and reduce the risk. This study includes the identification of the Quality Target Product Profiles (QTPPs) and Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) from literature or preliminary studies. To identify and control the variability in process and material attributes, two tools of QbD was utilized, Quality Risk Management (QRM) and Experimental Design. Further, it helps to identify the effect of these attributes on CQAs. Potential risk factors were identified from fishbone diagram and screened by risk assessment and optimized by 3-level 2- factor experimental design with center points in triplicate, to analyze the precision of the target process. This optimized formulation was further characterized by gelling time, gelling temperature, rheological parameters, in-vitro biodegradation and in-vitro drug release. Design space was created using experimental design tool that gives the control space and working within this controlled space reduces all the failure modes below the risk level. In conclusion, QbD approach with QRM tool provides potent and effectual pyramid to enhance the quality into the hydrogel.

Development of an Effective System Identification and Control Capability for Quad-copter UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Wei

In recent years, with the promise of extensive commercial applications, the popularity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has dramatically increased as witnessed by publications and mushrooming research and educational programs. Over the years, multi-copter aircraft have been chosen as a viable configuration for small-scale VTOL UAVs in the form of quad-copters, hexa-copters and octo-copters. Compared to the single main rotor configuration such as the conventional helicopter, multi-copter airframes require a simpler feedback control system and fewer mechanical parts. These characteristics make these UAV platforms, such as quad-copter which is the main emphasis in this dissertation, a rugged and competitive candidate for many applications in both military and civil areas. Because of its configuration and relative size, the small-scale quad-copter UAV system is inherently very unstable. In order to develop an effective control system through simulation techniques, obtaining an accurate dynamic model of a given quad-copter is imperative. Moreover, given the anticipated stringent safety requirements, fault tolerance will be a crucial component of UAV certification. Accurate dynamic modeling and control of this class of UAV is an enabling technology and is imperative for future commercial applications. In this work, the dynamic model of a quad-copter system in hover flight was identified using frequency-domain system identification techniques. A new and unique experimental system, data acquisition and processing procedure was developed catering specifically to the class of electric powered multi-copter UAV systems. The Comprehensive Identification from FrEquency Responses (CIFER RTM) software package, developed by US Army Aviation Development Directorate -- AFDD, was utilized along with flight tests to develop dynamic models of the quad-copter system. A new set of flight tests were conducted and the predictive capability of the dynamic models were successfully validated. A PID controller and two fuzzy logic controllers were developed based on the validated dynamic models. The controller performances were evaluated and compared in both simulation environment and flight testing. Flight controllers were optimized to comply with US Aeronautical Design Standard Performance Specification Handling Quality Requirements for Military Rotorcraft (ADS-33E-PRF). Results showed a substantial improvement for developed controllers when compared to the nominal controllers based on hand tuning. The scope of this research involves experimental system hardware and software development, flight instrumentation, flight testing, dynamics modeling, system identification, dynamic model validation, control system modeling using PID and fuzzy logic, analysis of handling qualities, flight control optimization and validation. Both closed-loop and open-loop dynamics of the quad-copter system were analyzed. A cost-effective and high quality system identification procedure was applied and results proved in simulations as well as in flight tests.

[The development and effects of an integrated symptom management program for prevention of recurrent cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention].

PubMed

Son, Youn-Jung

2008-04-01

This study was conducted to develop and to determine the effects of an integrated symptom management program for prevention of recurrent cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention. Subjects consisted of 58 CAD patients (experimental group: 30, control group: 28). The experimental group participated in an integrated symptom management program for 6 months which was composed of tailored education, stress management, exercise, diet, deep breathing, music therapy, periodical telephone monitoring and a daily log. The control group received the usual care. The experimental group significantly decreased symptom experiences and the level of LDL compared to the control group. The experimental group significantly increased self care activity and quality of life compared to the control group. Although no significant difference was found in cardiac recurrence, the experimental group had fewer recurrences. These results suggest that an integrated symptom management program for prevention of recurrent cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention can improve symptom aggravation, recurrent rate, self care activity and quality of life. Nursing interventions are needed to maintain and further enhance the quality of life of these patients and the interventions should be implemented in the overall transition period.

Quality Space and Launch Requirements Addendum to AS9100C

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-05

45 8.9.1 Statistical Process Control (SPC) .......................................................................... 45 8.9.1.1 Out of Control...Systems Center SME Subject Matter Expert SOW Statement of Work SPC Statistical Process Control SPO System Program Office SRP Standard Repair...individual data exceeding the control limits. Control limits are developed using standard statistical methods or other approved techniques and are based on

Information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitz, Vanessa; Rosecler Bez el Boukhari, Marta

2007-11-01

This article describes information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories. The quality of laboratory analyses is of fundamental importance for health professionals in aiding appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Information systems allow the automation of internal quality management processes, using standard sample tests, Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard multirule analysis. This simplifies evaluation and interpretation of quality tests and reduces the possibility of human error. This study proposes the development of an information system with appropriate functions and costs for the automation of internal quality control in small and medium-sized clinical laboratories. To this end, it evaluates the functions and usability of two commercial software products designed for this purpose, identifying the positive features of each, so that these can be taken into account during the development of the proposed system.

Quality and Control of Water Vapor Winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jedlovec, Gary J.; Atkinson, Robert J.

1996-01-01

Water vapor imagery from the geostationary satellites such as GOES, Meteosat, and GMS provides synoptic views of dynamical events on a continual basis. Because the imagery represents a non-linear combination of mid- and upper-tropospheric thermodynamic parameters (three-dimensional variations in temperature and humidity), video loops of these image products provide enlightening views of regional flow fields, the movement of tropical and extratropical storm systems, the transfer of moisture between hemispheres and from the tropics to the mid- latitudes, and the dominance of high pressure systems over particular regions of the Earth. Despite the obvious larger scale features, the water vapor imagery contains significant image variability down to the single 8 km GOES pixel. These features can be quantitatively identified and tracked from one time to the next using various image processing techniques. Merrill et al. (1991), Hayden and Schmidt (1992), and Laurent (1993) have documented the operational procedures and capabilities of NOAA and ESOC to produce cloud and water vapor winds. These techniques employ standard correlation and template matching approaches to wind tracking and use qualitative and quantitative procedures to eliminate bad wind vectors from the wind data set. Techniques have also been developed to improve the quality of the operational winds though robust editing procedures (Hayden and Veldon 1991). These quality and control approaches have limitations, are often subjective, and constrain wind variability to be consistent with model derived wind fields. This paper describes research focused on the refinement of objective quality and control parameters for water vapor wind vector data sets. New quality and control measures are developed and employed to provide a more robust wind data set for climate analysis, data assimilation studies, as well as operational weather forecasting. The parameters are applicable to cloud-tracked winds as well with minor modifications. The improvement in winds through use of these new quality and control parameters is measured without the use of rawinsonde or modeled wind field data and compared with other approaches.

Quality of life as a cancer nursing outcome variable.

PubMed

Padilla, G V; Grant, M M

1985-10-01

A reliable and valid multidimensional instrument for measuring quality of life in cancer patients has been developed. Furthermore, a model has been offered that describes how quality of life works as an outcome variable. Using this model, predictions were made of how nursing interventions may directly or indirectly impact on quality of life. Initial testing of the model using data from 135 colostomy patients showed how satisfaction with nursing care and personal control act as cognitive mediators of self-worth, which then impacts on dimensions of quality of life.

In pursuit of quality by viable quality assurance system: the controllers' perceptions.

PubMed

Aziz, Anwar

2011-01-01

Patients, families and communities expect safe, competent and compassionate nursing care that has always been a core value of nursing. To meet these expectations, a valid and reliable quality assurance (QA) system is crucial to ensure that nurse-graduates are competent, confident and fit to practice. The QA approach is seen to be fundamental for quality improvement, it would be appropriate to consider its influence in the nursing education in Pakistan as the current situation is evident of non-existence of such a system to assure its quality. The data is drawn from a qualitative case study conducted in 2004. Among a purposive sample of 71 nurses inclusive of a group of Controllers were interviewed on one-to-one basis. Interviews were audio taped to reduce the risk of any misinterpretation and to facilitate the exact description of data as it was said. The non-directive, semi-structured and open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. Thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts of the interviews was done. The study findings reveal a unanimous desire of the nurses to gauge quality of nurse education through efficient and effective quality assurance system. A crucial need is felt to develop a viable quality assurance system to ensure approved level of quality in nursing education to deliver the right care to the right patient at the right time, every time. The continuous quality assurance and improvement (CQAI) framework based on Deming Quality Cycle (Plan, Do, Check and Act) could facilitate appropriate designing and development of mechanism.

Adaptive guidance and control for future remote sensing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowrie, J. W.; Myers, J. E.

1980-01-01

A unique approach to onboard processing was developed that is capable of acquiring high quality image data for users in near real time. The approach is divided into two steps: the development of an onboard cloud detection system; and the development of a landmark tracker. The results of these two developments are outlined and the requirements of an operational guidance and control system capable of providing continuous estimation of the sensor boresight position are summarized.

Quality and productivity drive innovation and improvement at United Technologies Aerospace Operations, Inc.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jamar, L. G.

1986-01-01

Quality and innovation are the hallmarks of the national space program. In programs that preceded the Shuttle Program the emphasis was on meeting the risks and technical challenges of space with safety, quality, reliability, and success. At United Technologies Aerospace Operations, Inc. (UTAO), the battle has developed along four primary fronts. These fronts include programs to motivate and reward people, development and construction of optimized processes and facilities, implementation of specifically tailored management systems, and the application of appropriate measurement and control systems. Each of these initiatives is described. However, to put this quality and productivity program in perspective, UTAO and its role in the Shuttle Program are described first.

A measurement system for large, complex software programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rone, Kyle Y.; Olson, Kitty M.; Davis, Nathan E.

1994-01-01

This paper describes measurement systems required to forecast, measure, and control activities for large, complex software development and support programs. Initial software cost and quality analysis provides the foundation for meaningful management decisions as a project evolves. In modeling the cost and quality of software systems, the relationship between the functionality, quality, cost, and schedule of the product must be considered. This explicit relationship is dictated by the criticality of the software being developed. This balance between cost and quality is a viable software engineering trade-off throughout the life cycle. Therefore, the ability to accurately estimate the cost and quality of software systems is essential to providing reliable software on time and within budget. Software cost models relate the product error rate to the percent of the project labor that is required for independent verification and validation. The criticality of the software determines which cost model is used to estimate the labor required to develop the software. Software quality models yield an expected error discovery rate based on the software size, criticality, software development environment, and the level of competence of the project and developers with respect to the processes being employed.

Applications of optical sensing for laser cutting and drilling.

PubMed

Fox, Mahlen D T; French, Paul; Peters, Chris; Hand, Duncan P; Jones, Julian D C

2002-08-20

Any reliable automated production system must include process control and monitoring techniques. Two laser processing techniques potentially lending themselves to automation are percussion drilling and cutting. For drilling we investigate the performance of a modification of a nonintrusive optical focus control system we previously developed for laser welding, which exploits the chromatic aberrations of the processing optics to determine focal error. We further developed this focus control system for closed-loop control of laser cutting. We show that an extension of the technique can detect deterioration in cut quality, and we describe practical trials carried out on different materials using both oxygen and nitrogen assist gas. We base our techniques on monitoring the light generated by the process, captured nonintrusively by the effector optics and processed remotely from the workpiece. We describe the relationship between the temporal and the chromatic modulation of the detected light and process quality and show how the information can be used as the basis of a process control system.

A Look at Handling Qualities of Canard Configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Seth B.

1986-01-01

The first human-powered flight was achieved by a canard-configured aircraft (Wright Brothers). Although other canard concepts were flown with varying degrees of success over the years, the tail-aft configuration has dominated the aircraft market for both military and civil use. Reviewed are the development of several canard aircraft with emphasis on stability and control, handling qualities, and operating problems. The results show that early canard concepts suffered adversely in flight behavior because of a lack of understanding of the sensitivities of these concepts to basic stability and control principles. Modern canard designs have been made competitive with tail-aft configurations by using appropriate handling qualities design criteria.

Quality control of EUVE databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

John, L. M.; Drake, J.

1992-01-01

The publicly accessible databases for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer include: the EUVE Archive mailserver; the CEA ftp site; the EUVE Guest Observer Mailserver; and the Astronomical Data System node. The EUVE Performance Assurance team is responsible for verifying that these public EUVE databases are working properly, and that the public availability of EUVE data contained therein does not infringe any data rights which may have been assigned. In this poster, we describe the Quality Assurance (QA) procedures we have developed from the approach of QA as a service organization, thus reflecting the overall EUVE philosophy of Quality Assurance integrated into normal operating procedures, rather than imposed as an external, post facto, control mechanism.

Characterizing SWCNT Dispersion in Polymer Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lillehei, Peter T.; Kim, Jae-Woo; Gibbons, Luke; Park, Cheol

2007-01-01

The new wave of single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) infused composites will yield structurally sound multifunctional nanomaterials. The SWCNT network requires thorough dispersion within the polymer matrix in order to maximize the benefits of the nanomaterial. However, before any nanomaterials can be used in aerospace applications a means of quality assurance and quality control must be certified. Quality control certification requires a means of quantification, however, the measurement protocol mandates a method of seeing the dispersion first. We describe here the new tools that we have developed and implemented to first be able to see carbon nanotubes in polymers and second to measure or quantify the dispersion of the nanotubes.

Towards a Visual Quality Metric for Digital Video

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B.

1998-01-01

The advent of widespread distribution of digital video creates a need for automated methods for evaluating visual quality of digital video. This is particularly so since most digital video is compressed using lossy methods, which involve the controlled introduction of potentially visible artifacts. Compounding the problem is the bursty nature of digital video, which requires adaptive bit allocation based on visual quality metrics. In previous work, we have developed visual quality metrics for evaluating, controlling, and optimizing the quality of compressed still images. These metrics incorporate simplified models of human visual sensitivity to spatial and chromatic visual signals. The challenge of video quality metrics is to extend these simplified models to temporal signals as well. In this presentation I will discuss a number of the issues that must be resolved in the design of effective video quality metrics. Among these are spatial, temporal, and chromatic sensitivity and their interactions, visual masking, and implementation complexity. I will also touch on the question of how to evaluate the performance of these metrics.

Automated Assessment of Visual Quality of Digital Video

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B.; Ellis, Stephen R. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

The advent of widespread distribution of digital video creates a need for automated methods for evaluating visual quality of digital video. This is particularly so since most digital video is compressed using lossy methods, which involve the controlled introduction of potentially visible artifacts. Compounding the problem is the bursty nature of digital video, which requires adaptive bit allocation based on visual quality metrics. In previous work, we have developed visual quality metrics for evaluating, controlling, and optimizing the quality of compressed still images[1-4]. These metrics incorporate simplified models of human visual sensitivity to spatial and chromatic visual signals. The challenge of video quality metrics is to extend these simplified models to temporal signals as well. In this presentation I will discuss a number of the issues that must be resolved in the design of effective video quality metrics. Among these are spatial, temporal, and chromatic sensitivity and their interactions, visual masking, and implementation complexity. I will also touch on the question of how to evaluate the performance of these metrics.

Process control charts in infection prevention: Make it simple to make it happen.

PubMed

Wiemken, Timothy L; Furmanek, Stephen P; Carrico, Ruth M; Mattingly, William A; Persaud, Annuradha K; Guinn, Brian E; Kelley, Robert R; Ramirez, Julio A

2017-03-01

Quality improvement is central to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs. Challenges may occur when applying quality improvement methodologies like process control charts, often due to the limited exposure of typical IPs. Because of this, our team created an open-source database with a process control chart generator for IPC programs. The objectives of this report are to outline the development of the application and demonstrate application using simulated data. We used Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap Consortium, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN), R (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria), and R Studio Shiny (R Foundation for Statistical Computing) to create an open source data collection system with automated process control chart generation. We used simulated data to test and visualize both in-control and out-of-control processes for commonly used metrics in IPC programs. The R code for implementing the control charts and Shiny application can be found on our Web site (https://github.com/ul-research-support/spcapp). Screen captures of the workflow and simulated data indicating both common cause and special cause variation are provided. Process control charts can be easily developed based on individual facility needs using freely available software. Through providing our work free to all interested parties, we hope that others will be able to harness the power and ease of use of the application for improving the quality of care and patient safety in their facilities. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

THE UNITED STATES EPA CONCEPT FOR DERIVING WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR RECREATIONAL WATERS

EPA Science Inventory

The guidelines developed by the US EPA for controlling the quality of recreational waters are based on protecting the health of swimmers and other recreationists who may be exposed to waters contaminated by human and animal excreta. Risks to swimmers were determined through a se...

An Improvement in Instructional Quality: Can Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngware, Moses Waithanji; Ndirangu, Mwangi

2005-01-01

Purpose: To report study findings on teaching effectiveness and feedback mechanisms in Kenyan universities, which can guide management in developing a comprehensive quality control policy. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted an exploratory descriptive design. Three public and two private universities were randomly selected to…

An effectiveness analysis of healthcare systems using a systems theoretic approach.

PubMed

Chuang, Sheuwen; Inder, Kerry

2009-10-24

The use of accreditation and quality measurement and reporting to improve healthcare quality and patient safety has been widespread across many countries. A review of the literature reveals no association between the accreditation system and the quality measurement and reporting systems, even when hospital compliance with these systems is satisfactory. Improvement of health care outcomes needs to be based on an appreciation of the whole system that contributes to those outcomes. The research literature currently lacks an appropriate analysis and is fragmented among activities. This paper aims to propose an integrated research model of these two systems and to demonstrate the usefulness of the resulting model for strategic research planning. To achieve these aims, a systematic integration of the healthcare accreditation and quality measurement/reporting systems is structured hierarchically. A holistic systems relationship model of the administration segment is developed to act as an investigation framework. A literature-based empirical study is used to validate the proposed relationships derived from the model. Australian experiences are used as evidence for the system effectiveness analysis and design base for an adaptive-control study proposal to show the usefulness of the system model for guiding strategic research. Three basic relationships were revealed and validated from the research literature. The systemic weaknesses of the accreditation system and quality measurement/reporting system from a system flow perspective were examined. The approach provides a system thinking structure to assist the design of quality improvement strategies. The proposed model discovers a fourth implicit relationship, a feedback between quality performance reporting components and choice of accreditation components that is likely to play an important role in health care outcomes. An example involving accreditation surveyors is developed that provides a systematic search for improving the impact of accreditation on quality of care and hence on the accreditation/performance correlation. There is clear value in developing a theoretical systems approach to achieving quality in health care. The introduction of the systematic surveyor-based search for improvements creates an adaptive-control system to optimize health care quality. It is hoped that these outcomes will stimulate further research in the development of strategic planning using systems theoretic approach for the improvement of quality in health care.

[JUSTIFICATION OF USING EQUIVALENCE OF THE INDICES OF QUALITY, SAFETY, AND EFFICACY IN DEVELOPING BIOANALOGS].

PubMed

Niyazov, R R; Goryachev, D V; Gavrishina, E V; Romodanovskii, D P; Dranitsyna, M A

2015-01-01

We describe general principles of demonstrating biosimilarity, as well as selecting the biosimilarity margins. Any change in the structure of a biological molecule can modify its functional activity. Therefore, therapeutic equivalence between a biosimilar product and the corresponding reference product cannot be demonstrated using a single criterion. To demonstrate biosimilarity between two medicinal products, their various characteristics have to be evaluated which may, directly or indirectly, justify that clinically significant differences are absent. Insufficient understanding of 6ritical quality attributes brings a risk for the biosimilar product developer. This will either increase the number of non-clinical and clinical tests and trials needed or will result in awareness that the manufacturing process needs to be improved at the late stages of development, after investing significant resources in the development process. At the same time, the specification of the biological medicinal product cannot solely ensure safety and efficacy thereof. Properly characterized and controlled manufacturing process, which ensures consistency in its attributes not adequately controlled in specifications but influencing safety and efficacy profiles and showing their relevance in non-clinical tests and clinical trials, is an additional quality assurance factor. Justification of all development strategy details, including biosimilarity margins, has to be provided each time when the development process is initiated or when proceeding to the next steps. All problems encountered by the developer have to be resolved in close communication with the regulatory authority. In order to increase the quality of investigation and developer's adherence to good practices, clinical trial results should be published in detail.

Computer program CDCID: an automated quality control program using CDC update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singer, G.L.; Aguilar, F.

1984-04-01

A computer program, CDCID, has been developed in coordination with a quality control program to provide a highly automated method of documenting changes to computer codes at EG and G Idaho, Inc. The method uses the standard CDC UPDATE program in such a manner that updates and their associated documentation are easily made and retrieved in various formats. The method allows each card image of a source program to point to the document which describes it, who created the card, and when it was created. The method described is applicable to the quality control of computer programs in general. Themore » computer program described is executable only on CDC computing systems, but the program could be modified and applied to any computing system with an adequate updating program.« less

A quality evaluation of stabilization of rotation frequency of gas-diesel engines when using an adaptive automatic control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhilenkov, A. A.; Efremov, A. A.

2017-02-01

A possibility of quality improvement of stabilization of rotation frequency of the gas-diesels used as prime mover of generator set in the multigenerator units working for abruptly variable load of large power is considered. An evaluation is made on the condition of fuzzy controller use developed and described by the authors in a number of articles. An evaluation has shown that theoretically, the revolution range of a gas-diesel engine may be reduced 25-30 times in case of optimal settings of the controller in the whole power range. The results of modelling showing a considerable quality improvement of transient processes in the investigated system during a sharp change of loading are presented in this article.

Implementation of basic quality control tests for malaria medicines in Amazon Basin countries: results for the 2005–2010 period

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Ensuring the quality of malaria medicines is crucial in working toward malaria control and eventual elimination. Unlike other validated tests that can assess all critical quality attributes, which is the standard for determining the quality of medicines, basic tests are significantly less expensive, faster, and require less skilled labour; yet, these tests provide reproducible data and information on several critical quality attributes, such as identity, purity, content, and disintegration. Visual and physical inspection also provides valuable information about the manufacturing and the labelling of medicines, and in many cases this inspection is sufficient to detect counterfeit medicines. The Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) programme has provided technical assistance to Amazon Malaria Initiative (AMI) countries to implement the use of basic tests as a key screening mechanism to assess the quality of malaria medicines available to patients in decentralized regions. Methods Trained personnel from the National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs), often in collaboration with country’s Official Medicine Control Laboratory (OMCL), developed country- specific protocols that encompassed sampling methods, sample analysis, and data reporting. Sampling sites were selected based on malaria burden, accessibility, and geographical location. Convenience sampling was performed and countries were recommended to store the sampled medicines under conditions that did not compromise their quality. Basic analytical tests, such as disintegration and thin layer chromatography (TLC), were performed utilizing a portable mini-laboratory. Results Results were originally presented at regional meetings in a non-standardized format that lacked relevant medicines information. However, since 2008 information has been submitted utilizing a template specifically developed by PQM for that purpose. From 2005 to 2010, the quality of 1,663 malaria medicines from seven AMI countries was evaluated, mostly collected from the public sector, 1,445/1,663 (86.9%). Results indicate that 193/1,663 (11.6%) were found not to meet quality specifications. Most failures were reported during visual and physical inspection, 142/1663 (8.5%), and most of these were due to expired medicines, 118/142 (83.1%). Samples failing TLC accounted for 27/1,663 (1.6%) and those failing disintegration accounted for 24/1,663 (1.4%). Medicines quality failures decreased significantly during the last two years. Conclusions Basic tests revealed that the quality of medicines in the public sector improved over the years, since the implementation of this type of quality monitoring programme in 2005. However, the lack of consistent confirmatory tests in the quality control (QC) laboratory, utilizing methods that can also evaluate additional quality attributes, could still mask quality issues. In the future, AMI countries should improve coordination with their health authorities and their QC lab consistently, to provide a more complete picture of malaria medicines quality and support the implementation of corrective actions. Facilities in the private and informal sectors also should be included when these sectors constitute an important source of medicines used by malaria patients. PMID:22704680

Implementation of basic quality control tests for malaria medicines in Amazon Basin countries: results for the 2005-2010 period.

PubMed

Pribluda, Victor S; Barojas, Adrian; Añez, Arletta; López, Cecilia G; Figueroa, Ruth; Herrera, Roxana; Nakao, Gladys; Nogueira, Fernando Ha; Pianetti, Gerson A; Povoa, Marinete M; Viana, Giselle Mr; Gomes, Margarete S Mendonça; Escobar, Jose P; Sierra, Olga L Muñoz; Norena, Susana P Rendon; Veloz, Raúl; Bravo, Marcy Silva; Aldás, Martha R; Hindssemple, Alison; Collins, Marilyn; Ceron, Nicolas; Krishnalall, Karanchand; Adhin, Malti; Bretas, Gustavo; Hernandez, Nelly; Mendoza, Marjorie; Smine, Abdelkrim; Chibwe, Kennedy; Lukulay, Patrick; Evans, Lawrence

2012-06-15

Ensuring the quality of malaria medicines is crucial in working toward malaria control and eventual elimination. Unlike other validated tests that can assess all critical quality attributes, which is the standard for determining the quality of medicines, basic tests are significantly less expensive, faster, and require less skilled labour; yet, these tests provide reproducible data and information on several critical quality attributes, such as identity, purity, content, and disintegration. Visual and physical inspection also provides valuable information about the manufacturing and the labelling of medicines, and in many cases this inspection is sufficient to detect counterfeit medicines. The Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) programme has provided technical assistance to Amazon Malaria Initiative (AMI) countries to implement the use of basic tests as a key screening mechanism to assess the quality of malaria medicines available to patients in decentralized regions. Trained personnel from the National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs), often in collaboration with country's Official Medicine Control Laboratory (OMCL), developed country- specific protocols that encompassed sampling methods, sample analysis, and data reporting. Sampling sites were selected based on malaria burden, accessibility, and geographical location. Convenience sampling was performed and countries were recommended to store the sampled medicines under conditions that did not compromise their quality. Basic analytical tests, such as disintegration and thin layer chromatography (TLC), were performed utilizing a portable mini-laboratory. Results were originally presented at regional meetings in a non-standardized format that lacked relevant medicines information. However, since 2008 information has been submitted utilizing a template specifically developed by PQM for that purpose. From 2005 to 2010, the quality of 1,663 malaria medicines from seven AMI countries was evaluated, mostly collected from the public sector, 1,445/1,663 (86.9%). Results indicate that 193/1,663 (11.6%) were found not to meet quality specifications. Most failures were reported during visual and physical inspection, 142/1663 (8.5%), and most of these were due to expired medicines, 118/142 (83.1%). Samples failing TLC accounted for 27/1,663 (1.6%) and those failing disintegration accounted for 24/1,663 (1.4%). Medicines quality failures decreased significantly during the last two years. Basic tests revealed that the quality of medicines in the public sector improved over the years, since the implementation of this type of quality monitoring programme in 2005. However, the lack of consistent confirmatory tests in the quality control (QC) laboratory, utilizing methods that can also evaluate additional quality attributes, could still mask quality issues. In the future, AMI countries should improve coordination with their health authorities and their QC lab consistently, to provide a more complete picture of malaria medicines quality and support the implementation of corrective actions. Facilities in the private and informal sectors also should be included when these sectors constitute an important source of medicines used by malaria patients.

Development of flying qualities criteria for single pilot instrument flight operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Gill, A.; Nixon, W. B.; Miller, G. E.

1982-01-01

Flying qualities criteria for Single Pilot Instrument Flight Rule (SPIFR) operations were investigated. The ARA aircraft was modified and adapted for SPIFR operations. Aircraft configurations to be flight-tested were chosen and matched on the ARA in-flight simulator, implementing modern control theory algorithms. Mission planning and experimental matrix design were completed. Microprocessor software for the onboard data acquisition system was debugged and flight-tested. Flight-path reconstruction procedure and the associated FORTRAN program were developed. Algorithms associated with the statistical analysis of flight test results and the SPIFR flying qualities criteria deduction are discussed.

Conjoint Analysis for New Service Development on Electricity Distribution in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widaningrum, D. L.; Chynthia; Astuti, L. D.; Seran, M. A. B.

2017-07-01

Many cases of illegal use of electricity in Indonesia is still rampant, especially for activities where the power source is not available, such as in the location of street vendors. It is not only detrimental to the state, but also harm the perpetrators of theft of electricity and the surrounding communities. The purpose of this study is to create New Service Development (NSD) to provide a new electricity source for street vendors' activity based on their preferences. The methods applied in NSD is Conjoint Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Service Blueprint, Process Flow Diagrams and Quality Control Plan. The results of this study are the attributes and their importance in the new electricity’s service based on street vendors’ preferences as customers, customer segmentation, service design for new service, designing technical response, designing operational procedures, the quality control plan of any existing operational procedures.

Discussion on mass concrete construction of wind turbine generator foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Liang; Wu, Chaoxiang; Yin, Xiaoyong

2018-04-01

Wind power is one of the main power sources currently. China has rich wind power resources, wind power plants are developed faster and faster. However, China wind power construction started late, which is lack of relevant experience technology. It is easy to produce quality problems. The key to the construction quality of wind power plant is the construction quality of mass concrete construction. Therefore, construction technology and quality control of wind turbine generator foundation mass concrete are discussed and analyzed in the paper.

Investigation of Pearl River data collection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The reliability of employing NASA developed remote sensing for in situ near real time monitoring of water quality in the Pearl River is evaluated. The placement, operation and maintenance of a number of NASA developed data collection platforms (DCP's) on the Pearl River are described. The reception, processing, and retransmission of water quality data from an ERTS satellite to the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Commission (MAWPCC) via computer linkup are assessed.

Total quality management in blood transfusion.

PubMed

Smit-Sibinga, C T

2000-01-01

Quality management is an ongoing development resulting in consistency products and services and ever increasing customer satisfaction. The ultimum is Total Quality Management. Quality systems and quality management in transfusion medicine have gained considerable attention since the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic. Where product orientation has long been applied through quality control, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) principles were introduced, shifting the developments in the direction of process orientation. Globally, and particularly in the more industrialised world people and system orientation has come along with the introduction of the ISO9001 concept. Harmonisation and a degree of uniformity are needed to implement a universally applicable Quality System and related Quality Management. Where the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) is the professional organisation with the most extensive experience in quality systems in blood transfusion, the European Union and the Council of Europe now are in the process to design a quality system and management applicable to a larger variety of countries, based on a hybrid of current GMP and ISO9001 principles. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has developed a more universally to implement Quality Manual, with a pilot project in Honduras. It is recommendable to harmonise the various designs and bring the approaches under one common denominator.

Standardisation of DNA quantitation by image analysis: quality control of instrumentation.

PubMed

Puech, M; Giroud, F

1999-05-01

DNA image analysis is frequently performed in clinical practice as a prognostic tool and to improve diagnosis. The precision of prognosis and diagnosis depends on the accuracy of analysis and particularly on the quality of image analysis systems. It has been reported that image analysis systems used for DNA quantification differ widely in their characteristics (Thunissen et al.: Cytometry 27: 21-25, 1997). This induces inter-laboratory variations when the same sample is analysed in different laboratories. In microscopic image analysis, the principal instrumentation errors arise from the optical and electronic parts of systems. They bring about problems of instability, non-linearity, and shading and glare phenomena. The aim of this study is to establish tools and standardised quality control procedures for microscopic image analysis systems. Specific reference standard slides have been developed to control instability, non-linearity, shading and glare phenomena and segmentation efficiency. Some systems have been controlled with these tools and these quality control procedures. Interpretation criteria and accuracy limits of these quality control procedures are proposed according to the conclusions of a European project called PRESS project (Prototype Reference Standard Slide). Beyond these limits, tested image analysis systems are not qualified to realise precise DNA analysis. The different procedures presented in this work determine if an image analysis system is qualified to deliver sufficiently precise DNA measurements for cancer case analysis. If the controlled systems are beyond the defined limits, some recommendations are given to find a solution to the problem.

An Analysis of the Role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Development of Manpower for Water Pollution Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Academy of Environmental Engineers, Rockville, MD.

Presented is a study and recommendations regarding the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in developing skilled water quality control personnel. The American Academy of Environmental Engineers, which conducted this analysis, concludes that the federal role should be a major one. Furthermore, the present EPA policy of leaving labor…

Quality charters or quality members? A control theory perspective on team charters and team performance.

PubMed

Courtright, Stephen H; McCormick, Brian W; Mistry, Sal; Wang, Jiexin

2017-10-01

Though prevalent in practice, team charters have only recently received scholarly attention. However, most of this work has been relatively devoid of theory, and consequently, key questions about why and under what conditions team charter quality affects team performance remain unanswered. To address these gaps, we draw on macro organizational control theory to propose that team charter quality serves as a team-level "behavior" control mechanism that builds task cohesion through a structured exercise. We then juxtapose team charter quality with an "input" team control mechanism that influences the emergence of task cohesion more organically: team conscientiousness. Given their redundant effects on task cohesion, we propose that the effects of team charter quality and team conscientiousness on team performance (through task cohesion) are substitutive such that team charter quality primarily impacts team performance for teams that are low (vs. high) on conscientiousness. We test and find support for our hypotheses in a sample of 239 undergraduate self-managing project teams. Our study contributes to the groups and teams literature in the following ways: first, relative to previous studies, we take a more theory-driven approach toward understanding team charters, and in doing so, uncover when and why team charter quality impacts team performance; second, we integrate two normally disparate perspectives on team effectiveness (team development and team selection) to offer a broader perspective on how teams are "built"; and third, we introduce team charter quality as a performance-enhancing mechanism for teams lower on conscientiousness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Advances in food crystallization.

PubMed

Hartel, Richard W

2013-01-01

Crystals often play an important role in food product quality and shelf life. Controlling crystallization to obtain the desired crystal content, size distribution, shape, and polymorph is key to manufacturing products with desired functionality and shelf life. Technical developments in the field have improved the tools with which we study and characterize crystals in foods. These developments also help our understanding of the physico-chemical phenomena that govern crystallization and improve our ability to control it during processing and storage. In this review, some of the more important recent developments in measuring and controlling crystallization are discussed.

Annual Report, Reservoir Control Center, Southwestern Division (1989)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

Division in the water quality field . This provides for water quality objectives being included as an effective part of our total water management...WES) selected Canyon Lake as a research field site for developing techniques to evaluate the impacts associated with installation of hydropower at Corps...term continuous goals of this Division, and consequently the Water Management Branch, in the water quality field . (1) To obtain sufficient water

Quality of Working Life of Academics and Researchers in the UK: The Roles of Contract Type, Tenure and University Ranking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fontinha, Rita; Van Laar, Darren; Easton, Simon

2018-01-01

Quality of working life has been defined as the part of overall quality of life that is influenced by work. We developed a mediation model where home-work interface, job and career satisfaction, control at work, and working conditions are considered to be positively related to employee commitment and to the absence of stress at work. These two…

Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality.

PubMed

Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Galanos, Theodore; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

2017-05-04

The article describes the results of the project "open source smart lamp" aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ), by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ), indoor lighting quality (ILQ) and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ.

Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality

PubMed Central

Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Galanos, Theodore; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

2017-01-01

The article describes the results of the project “open source smart lamp” aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ), by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ), indoor lighting quality (ILQ) and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ. PMID:28471398

Recent developments in smart freezing technology applied to fresh foods.

PubMed

Xu, Ji-Cheng; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Adhikari, Benu

2017-09-02

Due to the increased awareness of consumers in sensorial and nutritional quality of frozen foods, the freezing technology has to seek new and innovative technologies for better retaining the fresh like quality of foods. In this article, we review the recent developments in smart freezing technology applied to fresh foods. The application of these intelligent technologies and the associated underpinning concepts have greatly improved the quality of frozen foods and the freezing efficiency. These technologies are able to automatically collect the information in-line during freezing and help control the freezing process better. Smart freezing technology includes new and intelligent technologies and concepts applied to the pretreatment of the frozen product, freezing processes, cold chain logistics as well as warehouse management. These technologies enable real-time monitoring of quality during the freezing process and help improve product quality and freezing efficiency. We also provide a brief overview of several sensing technologies used to achieve automatic control of individual steps of freezing process. These sensing technologies include computer vision, electronic nose, electronic tongue, digital simulation, confocal laser, near infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance technology and ultrasound. Understanding of the mechanism of these new technologies will be helpful for applying them to improve the quality of frozen foods.

Information without Implementation: A Practical Example for Developing a Best Practice Education Control Group.

PubMed

Balderson, Benjamin H; McCurry, Susan M; Vitiello, Michael V; Shortreed, Susan M; Rybarczyk, Bruce D; Keefe, Francis J; Korff, Michael Von

2016-01-01

This article considers methodology for developing an education-only control group and proposes a simple approach to designing rigorous and well-accepted control groups. This approach is demonstrated in a large randomized trial. The Lifestyles trial (n = 367) compared three group interventions: (a) cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for osteoarthritis pain, (b) CBT for osteoarthritis pain and insomnia, and (c) education-only control (EOC). EOC emulated the interventions excluding hypothesized treatment components and controlling for nonspecific treatment effects. Results showed this approach resulted in a control group that was highly credible and acceptable to patients. This approach can be an effective and practical guide for developing high-quality control groups in trials of behavioral interventions.

[Quality control of laser imagers].

PubMed

Winkelbauer, F; Ammann, M; Gerstner, N; Imhof, H

1992-11-01

Multiformat imagers based on laser systems are used for documentation in an increasing number of investigations. The specific problems of quality control are explained and the persistence of film processing in these imager systems of different configuration with (Machine 1: 3M-Laser-Imager-Plus M952 with connected 3M Film-Processor, 3M-Film IRB, X-Rax Chemical Mixer 3M-XPM, 3M-Developer and Fixer) or without (Machine 2: 3M-Laser-Imager-Plus M952 with separate DuPont-Cronex Film-processor, Kodak IR-Film, Kodak Automixer, Kodak-Developer and Fixer) connected film processing unit are investigated. In our checking based on DIN 6868 and ONORM S 5240 we found persistence of film processing in the equipment with directly adapted film processing unit according to DIN and ONORM. The checking of film persistence as demanded by DIN 6868 in these equipment could therefore be performed in longer periods. Systems with conventional darkroom processing comparatively show plain increased fluctuation, and hence the demanded daily control is essential to guarantee appropriate reaction and constant quality of documentation.

Modeling, simulation, and flight characteristics of an aircraft designed to fly at 100,000 feet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sim, Alex G.

1991-01-01

A manned real time simulation of a conceptual vehicle, the stratoplane, was developed to study the problems associated with the flight characteristics of a large, lightweight vehicle. Mathematical models of the aerodynamics, mass properties, and propulsion system were developed in support of the simulation and are presented. The simulation was at first conducted without control augmentation to determine the needs for a control system. The unaugmented flying qualities were dominated by lightly damped dutch roll oscillations. Constant pilot workloads were needed at high altitudes. Control augmentation was studied using basic feedbacks. For the longitudinal axis, flight path angle, and pitch rate feedback were sufficient to damp the phugoid mode and to provide good flying qualities. In the lateral directional axis, bank angle, roll rate, and yaw rate feedbacks were sufficient to provide a safe vehicle with acceptable handling qualities. Intentionally stalling the stratoplane to very high angles of attack (deep stall) was studied as a means of enable safe and rapid descent. It was concluded that the deep stall maneuver is viable for this class of vehicle.

Energy Auditor and Quality Control Inspector Competency Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Head, Heather R.; Kurnik, Charles W.; Schroeder, Derek

The Energy Auditor (EA) and Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Competency model was developed to identify the soft skills, foundational competencies and define the levels of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required to successfully perform the tasks defined in the EA and QCI Job Task Analysis (JTAs), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) used the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Competency Model Clearinghouse resources to develop a QCI and EA Competency Model. To keep the QCI and EA competency model consistent with other construction and energy management competency models, DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory used the existing 'Residential Constructionmore » Competency Model' and the 'Advanced Commercial Building Competency Model' where appropriate.« less

Demand controlled ventilating systems: Sensor market survey. Energy conservation in buildings and community systems programme, annex 18, December 1991

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raatschen, W.; Sjoegren, M.

The subject of indoor and outdoor air quality has generated a great deal of attention in many countries. Areas of concern include outgassing of building materials as well as occupant-generated pollutants such as carbon dioxide, moisture, and odors. Progress has also been made towards addressing issues relating to the air tightness of the building envelope. Indoor air quality studies indicate that better control of supply flow rates as well as the air distribution pattern within buildings are necessary. One method of maintaining good indoor air quality without extensive energy consumption is to control the ventilation rate according to the needs and demands of the occupants, or to preserve the building envelope. This is accomplished through the use of demand controlled ventilating (DCV) systems. The specific objective of Annex 18 is to develop guidelines for demand controlled ventilating systems based on state of the art analyses, case studies on ventilation effectiveness, and proposed ventilation rates for different users in domestic, office, and school buildings.

Using Modified Fagan Inspections to Control Rapid System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griesel, M. A.; Welz, L. L.

1994-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has been developing new approaches to software and system development to shorten life cycle time and reduce total life-cycle cost, while maintaining product quality. One such approach has been taken by the Just-In-Time (JIT) Materiel Acquisition System Development Project.

Maintaining Quality of Candidate Strains of Transgenic Mosquitoes for Studies in Containment Facilities in Disease Endemic Countries

PubMed Central

Leach, Adrian W.; Benedict, Mark Q.; Facchinelli, Luca; Quinlan, M. Megan

2018-01-01

Abstract Transgenic mosquitoes are being developed as novel components of area-wide approaches to vector-borne disease control. Best practice is to develop these in phases, beginning with laboratory studies, before moving to field testing and inclusion in control programs, to ensure safety and prevent costly field testing of unsuitable strains. The process of identifying and developing good candidate strains requires maintenance of transgenic colonies over many generations in containment facilities. By working in disease endemic countries with target vector populations, laboratory strains may be developed and selected for properties that will enhance intended control efficacy in the next phase, while avoiding traits that introduce unnecessary risks. Candidate strains aiming toward field use must consistently achieve established performance criteria, throughout the process of scaling up from small study colonies to production of sufficient numbers for field testing and possible open release. Maintenance of a consistent quality can be demonstrated by a set of insect quality and insectary operating indicators, measured over time at predetermined intervals. These indicators: inform comparability of studies using various candidate strains at different times and locations; provide evidence of conformity relevant to compliance with terms of approval for regulated use; and can be used to validate some assumptions related to risk assessments covering the contained phase and for release into the environment. PMID:29337661

Maintaining Quality of Candidate Strains of Transgenic Mosquitoes for Studies in Containment Facilities in Disease Endemic Countries.

PubMed

Mumford, John D; Leach, Adrian W; Benedict, Mark Q; Facchinelli, Luca; Quinlan, M Megan

2018-01-01

Transgenic mosquitoes are being developed as novel components of area-wide approaches to vector-borne disease control. Best practice is to develop these in phases, beginning with laboratory studies, before moving to field testing and inclusion in control programs, to ensure safety and prevent costly field testing of unsuitable strains. The process of identifying and developing good candidate strains requires maintenance of transgenic colonies over many generations in containment facilities. By working in disease endemic countries with target vector populations, laboratory strains may be developed and selected for properties that will enhance intended control efficacy in the next phase, while avoiding traits that introduce unnecessary risks. Candidate strains aiming toward field use must consistently achieve established performance criteria, throughout the process of scaling up from small study colonies to production of sufficient numbers for field testing and possible open release. Maintenance of a consistent quality can be demonstrated by a set of insect quality and insectary operating indicators, measured over time at predetermined intervals. These indicators: inform comparability of studies using various candidate strains at different times and locations; provide evidence of conformity relevant to compliance with terms of approval for regulated use; and can be used to validate some assumptions related to risk assessments covering the contained phase and for release into the environment.

Design and development of a structural mode control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A program was conducted to compile and document some of the existing information about the conceptual design, development, and tests of the B-1 structural mode control system (SMCS) and its impact on ride quality. This report covers the following topics: (1) Rationale of selection of SMCS to meet ride quality criteria versus basic aircraft stiffening. (2) Key considerations in designing an SMCS, including vane geometry, rate and deflection requirements, power required, compensation network design, and fail-safe requirements. (3) Summary of key results of SMCS vane wind tunnel tests. (4) SMCS performance. (5) SMCS design details, including materials, bearings, and actuators. (6) Results of qualification testing of SMCS on the "Iron Bird" flight control simulator, and lab qualification testing of the actuators. (7) Impact of SMCS vanes on engine inlet characteristics from wind tunnel tests.

Development and expansion of high-quality control region databases to improve forensic mtDNA evidence interpretation.

PubMed

Irwin, Jodi A; Saunier, Jessica L; Strouss, Katharine M; Sturk, Kimberly A; Diegoli, Toni M; Just, Rebecca S; Coble, Michael D; Parson, Walther; Parsons, Thomas J

2007-06-01

In an effort to increase the quantity, breadth and availability of mtDNA databases suitable for forensic comparisons, we have developed a high-throughput process to generate approximately 5000 control region sequences per year from regional US populations, global populations from which the current US population is derived and global populations currently under-represented in available forensic databases. The system utilizes robotic instrumentation for all laboratory steps from pre-extraction through sequence detection, and a rigorous eight-step, multi-laboratory data review process with entirely electronic data transfer. Over the past 3 years, nearly 10,000 control region sequences have been generated using this approach. These data are being made publicly available and should further address the need for consistent, high-quality mtDNA databases for forensic testing.

Quality assurance and control issues for HF radar wave and current measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyatt, Lucy

2015-04-01

HF radars are now widely used to provide surface current measurements over wide areas of the coastal ocean for scientific and operational applications. In general data quality is acceptable for these applications but there remain issues that impact on the quantity and quality of the data. These include problems with calibration and interference which impact on both phased array (e.g. WERA, Pisces) and direction-finding (e.g. SeaSonde) radars. These same issues and others (e.g. signal-to-noise, in-cell current variability, antenna sidelobes) also impact on the quality and quantity of wave data that can be obtained. These issues will be discussed in this paper, illustrated with examples from deployments of WERA, Pisces and SeaSonde radars in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. These issues involve both quality assurance (making sure the radars perform to spec and the software is fully operational) and in quality control (identifying problems with the data due to radar hardware or software performance issues and flagging these in the provided data streams). Recommendations for the former, and current practice (of the author and within the Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network, ACORN*) for the latter, will be discussed. The quality control processes for wave measurement are not yet as well developed as those for currents and data from some deployments can be rather noisy. Some new methods, currently under development by SeaView Sensing Ltd and being tested with ACORN data, will be described and results presented. *ACORN is a facility of the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System, IMOS. IMOS is a national collaborative research infrastructure, supported by Australian Government. It is led by University of Tasmania in partnership with the Australian marine and climate science community.

Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion Baseline Control Law: Architecture and Performance Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Christopher J.

2011-01-01

A model reference dynamic inversion control law has been developed to provide a baseline control law for research into adaptive elements and other advanced flight control law components. This controller has been implemented and tested in a hardware-in-the-loop simulation; the simulation results show excellent handling qualities throughout the limited flight envelope. A simple angular momentum formulation was chosen because it can be included in the stability proofs for many basic adaptive theories, such as model reference adaptive control. Many design choices and implementation details reflect the requirements placed on the system by the nonlinear flight environment and the desire to keep the system as basic as possible to simplify the addition of the adaptive elements. Those design choices are explained, along with their predicted impact on the handling qualities.

Automated quality control in a file-based broadcasting workflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lina

2014-04-01

Benefit from the development of information and internet technologies, television broadcasting is transforming from inefficient tape-based production and distribution to integrated file-based workflows. However, no matter how many changes have took place, successful broadcasting still depends on the ability to deliver a consistent high quality signal to the audiences. After the transition from tape to file, traditional methods of manual quality control (QC) become inadequate, subjective, and inefficient. Based on China Central Television's full file-based workflow in the new site, this paper introduces an automated quality control test system for accurate detection of hidden troubles in media contents. It discusses the system framework and workflow control when the automated QC is added. It puts forward a QC criterion and brings forth a QC software followed this criterion. It also does some experiments on QC speed by adopting parallel processing and distributed computing. The performance of the test system shows that the adoption of automated QC can make the production effective and efficient, and help the station to achieve a competitive advantage in the media market.

BatMass: a Java Software Platform for LC-MS Data Visualization in Proteomics and Metabolomics.

PubMed

Avtonomov, Dmitry M; Raskind, Alexander; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I

2016-08-05

Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) is a commonly used technique in metabolomic and proteomic research. As the size and complexity of LC-MS-based experiments grow, it becomes increasingly more difficult to perform quality control of both raw data and processing results. In a practical setting, quality control steps for raw LC-MS data are often overlooked, and assessment of an experiment's success is based on some derived metrics such as "the number of identified compounds". The human brain interprets visual data much better than plain text, hence the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". Here, we present the BatMass software package, which allows for performing quick quality control of raw LC-MS data through its fast visualization capabilities. It also serves as a testbed for developers of LC-MS data processing algorithms by providing a data access library for open mass spectrometry file formats and a means of visually mapping processing results back to the original data. We illustrate the utility of BatMass with several use cases of quality control and data exploration.

BatMass: a Java software platform for LC/MS data visualization in proteomics and metabolomics

PubMed Central

Avtonomov, Dmitry; Raskind, Alexander; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I.

2017-01-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) is a commonly used technique in metabolomic and proteomic research. As the size and complexity of LC/MS based experiments grow, it becomes increasingly more difficult to perform quality control of both raw data and processing results. In a practical setting, quality control steps for raw LC/MS data are often overlooked and assessment of an experiment's success is based on some derived metrics such as “the number of identified compounds”. Human brain interprets visual data much better than plain text, hence the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Here we present BatMass software package which allows to perform quick quality control of raw LC/MS data through its fast visualization capabilities. It also serves as a testbed for developers of LC/MS data processing algorithms by providing a data access library for open mass spectrometry file formats and a means of visually mapping processing results back to the original data. We illustrate the utility of BatMass with several use cases of quality control and data exploration. PMID:27306858

A novel strategy with standardized reference extract qualification and single compound quantitative evaluation for quality control of Panax notoginseng used as a functional food.

PubMed

Li, S P; Qiao, C F; Chen, Y W; Zhao, J; Cui, X M; Zhang, Q W; Liu, X M; Hu, D J

2013-10-25

Root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen (Sanqi in Chinese) is one of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) based functional food. Saponins are the major bioactive components. The shortage of reference compounds or chemical standards is one of the main bottlenecks for quality control of TCMs. A novel strategy, i.e. standardized reference extract based qualification and single calibrated components directly quantitative estimation of multiple analytes, was proposed to easily and effectively control the quality of natural functional foods such as Sanqi. The feasibility and credibility of this methodology were also assessed with a developed fast HPLC method. Five saponins, including ginsenoside Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rd and notoginsenoside R1 were rapidly separated using a conventional HPLC in 20 min. The quantification method was also compared with individual calibration curve method. The strategy is feasible and credible, which is easily and effectively adapted for improving the quality control of natural functional foods such as Sanqi. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selection of chemical markers for the quality control of medicinal plants of the genus Cecropia.

PubMed

Rivera-Mondragón, Andrés; Ortíz, Orlando O; Bijttebier, Sebastiaan; Vlietinck, Arnold; Apers, Sandra; Pieters, Luc; Caballero-George, Catherina

2017-12-01

Several Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) species are traditionally used in Latin America for the treatment of a variety of diseases including diabetes, arterial hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, anxiety, and inflammation. At present, a number of commercial products based on these plants have been introduced into the market with very little information on methods for guaranteeing their quality and safety. This work proposes potential chemical markers for the quality control of the raw materials of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol., Cecropia peltata L., Cecropia glaziovii Snethl., Cecropia pachystachya Trécul, and Cecropia hololeuca Miq. The Herbal Chemical Marker Ranking System (Herb MaRS) developed by the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at the University of Western Sydney was used for selecting chemical markers for the quality control of selected medicinal species of Cecropia. This review covers the period from 1982 to 2016. Chlorogenic acid, flavonoidal glycosides (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, and rutin), catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins (B2, B5, and C1), steroids (β-sitosterol), and triterpenoids (α-amyrin, pomolic, tormentic and ursolic acids) were selected as chemical markers for the quality control of the leaves. It is necessary to establish comprehensive standards for guaranteeing quality, safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. The selection of adequate chemical markers for quality control purposes requires a good knowledge about the chemical composition of medicinal plants and their associated biological properties. To the best of our knowledge this review article is the first to address the identification and quantitative determination of the chemical markers for the genus Cecropia.

A systematic review of selected evidence on developing nursing students' critical thinking through problem-based learning.

PubMed

Yuan, Haobin; Williams, Beverly A; Fan, Lin

2008-08-01

Rapidly changing developments and expanding roles in healthcare environment requires professional nurses to develop critical thinking. Nursing education strives to facilitate students' critical thinking through the appropriate instructional approaches. Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach to learning which enables the students to work cooperatively in small groups for seeking solutions to situations/problems. The systematic review was conducted to provide the available evidence on developing nursing students' critical thinking through PBL. The computerized searches from 1990-2006 in CINAHL, Proquest, Cochrane library, Pubmed etc were performed. All studies which addressed the differences in critical thinking among nursing students in PBL were considered. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each study, its level of evidence and the methodological quality. As a result, only ten studies were retrieved, they were: one RCT with a Jadad quality score of 3, one nonrandomized control study, two quasi-experimental studies with non-controlled pretest-posttest design, and six descriptive studies. The available evidence in this review did not provide supportive evidence on developing nursing students' critical thinking through PBL. Clearly, there is a need for additional research with larger sample size and high quality to clarify the effects of PBL on critical thinking development within nursing educational context.

Interpreting drinking water quality in the distribution system using Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence.

PubMed

Sadiq, Rehan; Rodriguez, Manuel J

2005-04-01

Interpreting water quality data routinely generated for control and monitoring purposes in water distribution systems is a complicated task for utility managers. In fact, data for diverse water quality indicators (physico-chemical and microbiological) are generated at different times and at different locations in the distribution system. To simplify and improve the understanding and the interpretation of water quality, methodologies for aggregation and fusion of data must be developed. In this paper, the Dempster-Shafer theory also called theory of evidence is introduced as a potential methodology for interpreting water quality data. The conceptual basis of this methodology and the process for its implementation are presented by two applications. The first application deals with the interpretation of spatial water quality data fusion, while the second application deals with the development of water quality index based on key monitored indicators. Based on the obtained results, the authors discuss the potential contribution of theory of evidence as a decision-making tool for water quality management.

Cryopreservation in fish: current status and pathways to quality assurance and quality control in repository development

PubMed Central

Torres, Leticia; Hu, E.; Tiersch, Terrence R.

2017-01-01

Cryopreservation in aquatic species in general has been constrained to research activities for more than 60 years. Although the need for application and commercialisation pathways has become clear, the lack of comprehensive quality assurance and quality control programs has impeded the progress of the field, delaying the establishment of germplasm repositories and commercial-scale applications. In this review we focus on the opportunities for standardisation in the practices involved in the four main stages of the cryopreservation process: (1) source, housing and conditioning of fish; (2) sample collection and preparation; (3) freezing and cryogenic storage of samples; and (4) egg collection and use of thawed sperm samples. In addition, we introduce some key factors that would assist the transition to commercial-scale, high-throughput application. PMID:26739583

Fast Response Shape Memory Effect Titanium Nickel (TiNi) Foam Torque Tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jardine, Peter

2014-01-01

Shape Change Technologies has developed a process to manufacture net-shaped TiNi foam torque tubes that demonstrate the shape memory effect. The torque tubes dramatically reduce response time by a factor of 10. This Phase II project matured the actuator technology by rigorously characterizing the process to optimize the quality of the TiNi and developing a set of metrics to provide ISO 9002 quality assurance. A laboratory virtual instrument engineering workbench (LabVIEW'TM')-based, real-time control of the torsional actuators was developed. These actuators were developed with The Boeing Company for aerospace applications.

Development and Characterization of Reference Materials for Genetic Testing: Focus on Public Partnerships.

PubMed

Kalman, Lisa V; Datta, Vivekananda; Williams, Mickey; Zook, Justin M; Salit, Marc L; Han, Jin Yeong

2016-11-01

Characterized reference materials (RMs) are needed for clinical laboratory test development and validation, quality control procedures, and proficiency testing to assure their quality. In this article, we review the development and characterization of RMs for clinical molecular genetic tests. We describe various types of RMs and how to access and utilize them, especially focusing on the Genetic Testing Reference Materials Coordination Program (Get-RM) and the Genome in a Bottle (GIAB) Consortium. This review also reinforces the need for collaborative efforts in the clinical genetic testing community to develop additional RMs.

Improving accuracy of unbound resilient modulus testing

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-07-01

The P46 Laboratory Startup and Quality Control Procedure was developed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the resilient modulus data produced while testing soil and aggregate materials using closed-loop servo-hydraulic systems. It was develope...

Preliminary study to develop standard acceptance tests for pervious concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-05-01

Pervious concrete pavements are permeable pavement systems that are desired for their role in stormwater management and runoff control. Increased popularity in pervious concrete pavement applications has raised the need for the development of quality...

A special ionisation chamber for quality control of diagnostic and mammography X ray equipment.

PubMed

Costa, A M; Caldas, L V E

2003-01-01

A quality control program for X ray equipment used for conventional radiography and mammography requires the constancy check of the beam qualities in terms of the half-value layers. In this work, a special double-faced parallel-plate ionisation chamber was developed with inner electrodes of different materials, in a tandem system. Its application will be in quality control programs of diagnostic and mammography X ray equipment for confirmation of half-value layers previously determined by the conventional method. Moreover, the chamber also may be utilised for measurements of air kerma values (and air kerma rates) in X radiation fields used for conventional radiography and mammography. The chamber was studied in relation to the characteristics of saturation, ion collection efficiency, polarity effects, leakage current, and short-term stability. The energy dependence in response of each of the two faces of the chamber was determined over the conventional radiography and mammography X ray ranges (unattenuated beams). The different energy response of the two faces of the chamber allowed the formation of a tandem system useful for the constancy check of beam qualities.

Review of indicators for cross-sectoral optimization of nosocomial infection prophylaxis – a perspective from structurally- and process-oriented hygiene

PubMed Central

Hübner, Nils-Olaf; Fleßa, Steffen; Jakisch, Ralf; Assadian, Ojan; Kramer, Axel

2012-01-01

In the care of patients, the prevention of nosocomial infections is crucial. For it to be successful, cross-sectoral, interface-oriented hygiene quality management is necessary. The goal is to apply the HACCP (Hazard Assessment and Critical Control Points) concept to hospital hygiene, in order to create a multi-dimensional hygiene control system based on hygiene indicators that will overcome the limitations of a procedurally non-integrated and non-cross-sectoral view of hygiene. Three critical risk dimensions can be identified for the implementation of three-dimensional quality control of hygiene in clinical routine: the constitution of the person concerned, the surrounding physical structures and technical equipment, and the medical procedures. In these dimensions, the establishment of indicators and threshold values enables a comprehensive assessment of hygiene quality. Thus, the cross-sectoral evaluation of the quality of structure, processes and results is decisive for the success of integrated infection prophylaxis. This study lays the foundation for hygiene indicator requirements and develops initial concepts for evaluating quality management in hygiene. PMID:22558049

Evaluation of quality of life and description of the sociodemographic state in adolescent and young adult patients with phenylketonuria (PKU).

PubMed

Simon, Eva; Schwarz, Martin; Roos, Judith; Dragano, Nico; Geraedts, Max; Siegrist, Johannes; Kamp, Gudrun; Wendel, Udo

2008-03-26

Normal intellectual and personal development can be expected in early-diagnosed and treated PKU patients. Aim of the study was to analyse quality of life and social status, which are important parameters for an overall estimation of success of treatment apart from intellectual outcome in adult PKU patients. 67 patients completed a questionnaire on quality of life and social status. Data was compared to the German census on an age matched control collective. Quality of life measured with the Profile of Quality of Life in the Chronically Ill (PLC) revealed mean values for capacity of performance in the patient group in the same range as in the control collective. The analysis of the social state of PKU patients revealed a tendency towards lower or delayed autonomy, and a low rate of forming normal adult relationships in which to have children. Schooling and professional career corresponded approximately to the control collective. Though every chronic disorder must be regarded as restraining, it shows that PKU does not preclude healthy emotional adjustment when the disease is diagnosed early and treated well.

Near infrared spectroscopy based monitoring of extraction processes of raw material with the help of dynamic predictive modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haixia; Suo, Tongchuan; Wu, Xiaolin; Zhang, Yue; Wang, Chunhua; Yu, Heshui; Li, Zheng

2018-03-01

The control of batch-to-batch quality variations remains a challenging task for pharmaceutical industries, e.g., traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturing. One difficult problem is to produce pharmaceutical products with consistent quality from raw material of large quality variations. In this paper, an integrated methodology combining the near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and dynamic predictive modeling is developed for the monitoring and control of the batch extraction process of licorice. With the spectra data in hand, the initial state of the process is firstly estimated with a state-space model to construct a process monitoring strategy for the early detection of variations induced by the initial process inputs such as raw materials. Secondly, the quality property of the end product is predicted at the mid-course during the extraction process with a partial least squares (PLS) model. The batch-end-time (BET) is then adjusted accordingly to minimize the quality variations. In conclusion, our study shows that with the help of the dynamic predictive modeling, NIRS can offer the past and future information of the process, which enables more accurate monitoring and control of process performance and product quality.

Industry's View on Using Quality Control, Biorelevant, and Clinically Relevant Dissolution Tests for Pharmaceutical Development, Registration, and Commercialization.

PubMed

Grady, Haiyan; Elder, David; Webster, Gregory K; Mao, Yun; Lin, Yiqing; Flanagan, Talia; Mann, James; Blanchard, Andy; Cohen, Michael J; Lin, Judy; Kesisoglou, Filippos; Hermans, Andre; Abend, Andreas; Zhang, Limin; Curran, David

2018-01-01

This article intends to summarize the current views of the IQ Consortium Dissolution Working Group, which comprises various industry companies, on the roles of dissolution testing throughout pharmaceutical product development, registration, commercialization, and beyond. Over the past 3 decades, dissolution testing has evolved from a routine and straightforward test as a component of end-product release into a comprehensive set of tools that the developer can deploy at various stages of the product life cycle. The definitions of commonly used dissolution approaches, how they relate to one another and how they may be applied in modern drug development, and life cycle management is described in this article. Specifically, this article discusses the purpose, advantages, and limitations of quality control, biorelevant, and clinically relevant dissolution methods. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bridging the Gap Between Validation and Implementation of Non-Animal Veterinary Vaccine Potency Testing Methods

PubMed Central

Dozier, Samantha; Brown, Jeffrey; Currie, Alistair

2011-01-01

Simple Summary Many vaccines are tested for quality in experiments that require the use of large numbers of animals in procedures that often cause significant pain and distress. Newer technologies have fostered the development of vaccine quality control tests that reduce or eliminate the use of animals, but the availability of these newer methods has not guaranteed their acceptance by regulators or use by manufacturers. We discuss a strategic approach that has been used to assess and ultimately increase the use of non-animal vaccine quality tests in the U.S. and U.K. Abstract In recent years, technologically advanced high-throughput techniques have been developed that replace, reduce or refine animal use in vaccine quality control tests. Following validation, these tests are slowly being accepted for use by international regulatory authorities. Because regulatory acceptance itself has not guaranteed that approved humane methods are adopted by manufacturers, various organizations have sought to foster the preferential use of validated non-animal methods by interfacing with industry and regulatory authorities. After noticing this gap between regulation and uptake by industry, we began developing a paradigm that seeks to narrow the gap and quicken implementation of new replacement, refinement or reduction guidance. A systematic analysis of our experience in promoting the transparent implementation of validated non-animal vaccine potency assays has led to the refinement of our paradigmatic process, presented here, by which interested parties can assess the local regulatory acceptance of methods that reduce animal use and integrate them into quality control testing protocols, or ensure the elimination of peripheral barriers to their use, particularly for potency and other tests carried out on production batches. PMID:26486625

Effectiveness of gratitude disposition promotion program on depression and quality of life of chronic schizophrenic patients.

PubMed

Jung, Miran; Han, Kuemsun

2017-01-01

Gratitude intervention is expectedly an effective intervention to reduce depression and improve the quality of life in schizophrenic patients, but there is a lack of literature on it. We attempted to develop and test the effectiveness of the gratitude disposition promotion program for chronic schizophrenic patients in Korea. Nonequivalent control group pre- and post-test design was used in two mental health centers located at Gyeonggi-do in South Korea. This paper was a quasi-experimental study and the participants who took part in the gratitude disposition promotion program were 17 of experimental group and 15 of control group. Gratitude disposition (the short gratitude, resentment, and appreciation test), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and quality of life (developed by Kook) of chronic schizophrenic patients were measured before and after an intervention, as compared to the control. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and t -test were performed for prehomogeneity testing for variables related to the general characteristics. Testing for the effectiveness of gratitude disposition promotion program and hypothesis testing for its effect on depression and quality of life were by ANCOVA and t -test, as verified to significance level of P < 0.05. The participants who received the gratitude disposition promotion program showed significant improvements in gratitude disposition ( F = 18.740, P < 0.0001) and in quality of life ( F = 9.800, P = 0.004), but no significant difference in depression ( F = 3.870, P = 0.059). The gratitude disposition promotion program was an effective clinical intervention program for enhancing gratitude disposition and quality of life of chronic schizophrenic patients in community.

Assessment of long-term and large-scale even-odd license plate controlled plan effects on urban air quality and its implication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Suping; Yu, Ye; Qin, Dahe; Yin, Daiying; He, Jianjun

2017-12-01

To solve traffic congestion and to improve urban air quality, long-lasting and large-scale even-odd license plate controlled plan was implemented by local government during 20 November to 26 December 2016 in urban Lanzhou, a semi-arid valley city of northwest China. The traffic control measures provided an invaluable opportunity to evaluate its effects on urban air quality in less developed cities of northwest China. Based on measured simultaneously air pollutants and meteorological parameters, the abatement of traffic-related pollutants induced by the implemented control measures such as CO, PM2.5 and PM10 (the particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 μm and 10 μm) concentrations were firstly quantified by comparing the air quality data in urban areas with those in rural areas (uncontrolled zones). The concentrations of CO, NO2 from motor vehicles and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were shown to have significant decreases of 15%-23% during traffic control period from those measured before control period with hourly maximum CO, PM2.5, and NO2/SO2 reduction of 43%, 35% and 141.4%, respectively. The influence of the control measures on AQI (air quality index) and ozone was less as compared to its effect on other air pollutants. Therefore, to alleviate serious winter haze pollution in China and to protect human health, the stringent long-term and large-scale even-odd license plate controlled plan should be implemented aperiodically in urban areas, especially for the periods with poor diffusion conditions.

Effect of Chicory Fiber and Smoking on Quality Characteristics of Restructured Sausages

PubMed Central

Choi, Hyun-Su; Choi, Hyung-Gyu; Choi, Yeong-Seok; Kim, Jong-Hee; Lee, Ju-Ho; Jung, Eun-Hee; Lee, Sang-Hwa; Choi, Yang-Il

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of chicory fiber for the replacement of fat and smoking on quality characteristics of restructured sausages. Treatments were as follows; Control: Pork backfat 20%, T1: Pork backfat 10% + Chicory fiber 10%, T2: Control + Smoking, T3: T1 + Smoking. The addition of chicory fiber significantly reduced the moisture, fat, hardness and pH values, whereas the smoking treatment increased the fat, redness and pH values of restructured sausages (p<0.01). Additionally, interaction of them significantly affected the ash, chewiness and hardness values of restructured sausages. As a result, although the addition of chicory fiber decreased the quality characteristics of sausage, smoking treatment improved the reduced quality. Therefore, the chicory fiber and smoking treatment is helpful to develop restructured sausage products with reduced fat and compensated quality. PMID:27499674

Read Code Quality Assurance

PubMed Central

Schulz, Erich; Barrett, James W.; Price, Colin

1998-01-01

As controlled clinical vocabularies assume an increasing role in modern clinical information systems, so the issue of their quality demands greater attention. In order to meet the resulting stringent criteria for completeness and correctness, a quality assurance system comprising a database of more than 500 rules is being developed and applied to the Read Thesaurus. The authors discuss the requirement to apply quality assurance processes to their dynamic editing database in order to ensure the quality of exported products. Sources of errors include human, hardware, and software factors as well as new rules and transactions. The overall quality strategy includes prevention, detection, and correction of errors. The quality assurance process encompasses simple data specification, internal consistency, inspection procedures and, eventually, field testing. The quality assurance system is driven by a small number of tables and UNIX scripts, with “business rules” declared explicitly as Structured Query Language (SQL) statements. Concurrent authorship, client-server technology, and an initial failure to implement robust transaction control have all provided valuable lessons. The feedback loop for error management needs to be short. PMID:9670131

Read Code quality assurance: from simple syntax to semantic stability.

PubMed

Schulz, E B; Barrett, J W; Price, C

1998-01-01

As controlled clinical vocabularies assume an increasing role in modern clinical information systems, so the issue of their quality demands greater attention. In order to meet the resulting stringent criteria for completeness and correctness, a quality assurance system comprising a database of more than 500 rules is being developed and applied to the Read Thesaurus. The authors discuss the requirement to apply quality assurance processes to their dynamic editing database in order to ensure the quality of exported products. Sources of errors include human, hardware, and software factors as well as new rules and transactions. The overall quality strategy includes prevention, detection, and correction of errors. The quality assurance process encompasses simple data specification, internal consistency, inspection procedures and, eventually, field testing. The quality assurance system is driven by a small number of tables and UNIX scripts, with "business rules" declared explicitly as Structured Query Language (SQL) statements. Concurrent authorship, client-server technology, and an initial failure to implement robust transaction control have all provided valuable lessons. The feedback loop for error management needs to be short.

[New idea of traditional Chinese medicine quality control based on "composition structure" theory].

PubMed

Liu, Dan; Jia, Xiaobin; Yu, Danhong

2012-03-01

On the road of the modern Chinese medicine developing internationally, there is a key issues that setting up a reasonable, accurate and be quantified quality evaluation system which is comply with the basic theory of Chinese medicine. Based on the overall understanding of the role of traditional Chinese medicine components, author suggested that the idea of "structural components" theory should be embedded into the system and thought the Chinese medicine play a multi-target, multi-channel pharmacodynamic effects founded on the specific microcosmic structural relationship between the components and the components within the group. At present, the way of Chinese pharmacopoeia checking the quality of Chinese medicine is mainly depends on controlling the single or multiple targets of ingredients. In fact, this way is out of the overall effectiveness of the Chinese medicine, so we can not thoroughly controlling the quality of Chinese medicine from the essence of the Chinese medicine. Secondly, it's only macro-structural quantity that the Chinese pharmacopoeia just controlling the less effective ingredients, this is not enough to reflect the internal microstructure of the integrity and systematic. In other words, this cannot reflect the structural components of the Chinese medicine (the essence of traditional Chinese medicine). In view of above mentioned reasons, the author propose the new idea on the quality control in the medicine that quantify the ratio structural relationship in component and the ingredients of the components, set the optimal controlling proportion between the components and ingredients. At the same time, author thought we should conduct the depth study in the micro-quantified the multi-component and multi-ingredient, in the process of studying the material basis of Chinese medicine. Therefore, it could establish a more rational basis for the Chinese medicine quality controlling system.

[A randomised clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention developed for adult asthmatics in a primary care centre].

PubMed

Cano Fuentes, Gloria; Dastis Bendala, Carmen; Morales Barroso, Isabel; Manzanares Torné, M Luisa; Fernández Gregorio, Andrés; Martín Romana, Leticia

2014-03-01

To assess the effect of an educational intervention on asthma control and quality of life. A randomised clinical trial of patients with asthma, with an intervention group (IG) and a control (GC). Asthma control and quality of life was measured in both groups at baseline and every three months for one a year. Blinding was only possible in the collection and analysis of data. Two urban Primary Care Health Centres A total of 163 patients aged 18 to 55 years were included: 84 were assigned to the IG and 79 to the CG. The follow-up was completed by 104 patients (GI: 55 and GC 49). Three educational sessions in small interactive groups. The first session was at the beginning of spring, the second 15 days later, and the third 6 months later, to recall the knowledge. Asthma control level and quality of life using ACT(Asthma Control Test) and the AQLQ (Asthma Quality of life Questionnaire). In the third month, statistically significant differences were detected in the percentage of patients with good control [(P=.0002), 75% in the GI, and 48.5% in the GC, Relative Risk (RR)=1.6 [1.2 to 2.1], Number Needed to Treat (NNT)=3.8 [2.4 to 9.4], and an improvement in levels of quality of life from baseline (P=.005), RR=2.3 [1.3 to 4.1], NNT: 4.3 [2.6 to 12.4]. No differences were detected in the remaining sessions. These interventions are effective in improving the control and quality of life in short-term, which can guide us in choosing the best time to do it. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Cost effectiveness of novel oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation depending on the quality of warfarin anticoagulation control.

PubMed

Janzic, Andrej; Kos, Mitja

2015-04-01

Vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin, are standard treatments for stroke prophylaxis in patients with atrial fibrillation. Patient outcomes depend on quality of warfarin management, which includes regular monitoring and dose adjustments. Recently, novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) that do not require regular monitoring offer an alternative to warfarin. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cost effectiveness of NOACs for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation depends on the quality of warfarin control. We developed a Markov decision model to simulate warfarin treatment outcomes in relation to the quality of anticoagulation control, expressed as percentage of time in the therapeutic range (TTR). Standard treatment with adjusted-dose warfarin and improved anticoagulation control by genotype-guided dosing were compared with dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban. The analysis was performed from the Slovenian healthcare payer perspective using 2014 costs. In the base case, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for apixaban, dabigatran and edoxaban was below the threshold of €25,000 per quality-adjusted life-years compared with adjusted-dose warfarin with a TTR of 60%. The probability that warfarin was a cost-effective option was around 1%. This percentage rises as the quality of anticoagulation control improves. At a TTR of 70%, warfarin was the preferred treatment in half the iterations. The cost effectiveness of NOACs for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who are at increased risk for stroke is highly sensitive to warfarin anticoagulation control. NOACs are more likely to be cost-effective options in settings with poor warfarin management than in settings with better anticoagulation control, where they may not represent good value for money.

Tissue banking in South Africa: a 19-year history.

PubMed

Lindeque, B G P; Lindeque, A M; Hausner, H; Le Roux, T L B

2005-01-01

The establishment of a Tissue Bank and the science of Tissue Banking in South Africa started in the 1960s and is still developing. This article describes the development and growth of Tissue Banking in South Africa. The current emphasis is to supply viable bone products that have been produced under the best possible quality controlled circumstances; with the collaboration between different Organ Donation Organisations. Through collaboration, a dramatic increase in the number of donors was noted over the years. Concurrently, there was a dramatic increase in the usage of different allograft products and now necessitates the development of new graft materials for expanding patient options. As an ongoing concern, the Tissue Bank in South Africa experienced an ever increase in costs to enhance quality/safety controls: increase in historical patient information, documentation and serological testing in a population struggling to control HIV. To date, the South African Tissue Bank has not experienced any untoward patient incidence since the 1960s and currently is getting over 500 donors per year.

Breadboard Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

In the sixties, Chrysler was NASA's prime contractor for the Saturn I and IB test launch vehicles. The company installed and operated at Huntsville what was known as the Saturn I/IB Development Breadboard Facility. "Breadboard," means an array of electrical and electronic equipment for performing a variety of development and test functions. This work gave Chrysler a broad capability in computerized testing to assure quality control in development of solid-state electronic systems. Today that division is manufacturing many products not destined for NASA, most of them being associated with the company's automotive line. A major project is production and quality-control testing of the "lean-burn" engine, one that has a built-in Computer to control emission timing, and allow the engine to run on a leaner mixture of fuel and air. Other environment-related products include vehicle emission analyzers. The newest of the line is an accurate, portable solid state instrument for testing auto exhaust gases. The exhaust analyzers, now being produced for company dealers and for service

Methods for collecting benthic invertebrate samples as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuffney, Thomas F.; Gurtz, Martin E.; Meador, Michael R.

1993-01-01

Benthic invertebrate communities are evaluated as part of the ecological survey component of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. These biological data are collected along with physical and chemical data to assess water-quality conditions and to develop an understanding of the factors that affect water-quality conditions locally, regionally, and nationally. The objectives of benthic invertebrate community characterizations are to (1) develop for each site a list of tax a within the associated stream reach and (2) determine the structure of benthic invertebrate communities within selected habitats of that reach. A nationally consistent approach is used to achieve these objectives. This approach provides guidance on site, reach, and habitat selection and methods and equipment for qualitative multihabitat sampling and semi-quantitative single habitat sampling. Appropriate quality-assurance and quality-control guidelines are used to maximize the ability to analyze data within and among study units.

Markov Chains For Testing Redundant Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Allan L.; Sjogren, Jon A.

1990-01-01

Preliminary design developed for validation experiment that addresses problems unique to assuring extremely high quality of multiple-version programs in process-control software. Approach takes into account inertia of controlled system in sense it takes more than one failure of control program to cause controlled system to fail. Verification procedure consists of two steps: experimentation (numerical simulation) and computation, with Markov model for each step.

Identifying multiple stressor controls on phytoplankton dynamics in the River Thames (UK) using high-frequency water quality data.

PubMed

Bowes, M J; Loewenthal, M; Read, D S; Hutchins, M G; Prudhomme, C; Armstrong, L K; Harman, S A; Wickham, H D; Gozzard, E; Carvalho, L

2016-11-01

River phytoplankton blooms can pose a serious risk to water quality and the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. Developing a greater understanding of the physical and chemical controls on the timing, magnitude and duration of blooms is essential for the effective management of phytoplankton development. Five years of weekly water quality monitoring data along the River Thames, southern England were combined with hourly chlorophyll concentration (a proxy for phytoplankton biomass), flow, temperature and daily sunlight data from the mid-Thames. Weekly chlorophyll data was of insufficient temporal resolution to identify the causes of short term variations in phytoplankton biomass. However, hourly chlorophyll data enabled identification of thresholds in water temperature (between 9 and 19°C) and flow (<30m(3)s(-1)) that explained the development of phytoplankton populations. Analysis showed that periods of high phytoplankton biomass and growth rate only occurred when these flow and temperature conditions were within these thresholds, and coincided with periods of long sunshine duration, indicating multiple stressor controls. Nutrient concentrations appeared to have no impact on the timing or magnitude of phytoplankton bloom development, but severe depletion of dissolved phosphorus and silicon during periods of high phytoplankton biomass may have contributed to some bloom collapses through nutrient limitation. This study indicates that for nutrient enriched rivers such as the Thames, manipulating residence time (through removing impoundments) and light/temperature (by increasing riparian tree shading) may offer more realistic solutions than reducing phosphorus concentrations for controlling excessive phytoplankton biomass. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.